24 Students Selected Each Year
Weather Closure
University of Alaska Anchorage campus will be closed September 24, 2021 beginning at 6:40 AM, due to weather. Students and employees should check their email for more information. The university will remain closed for the weekend and reopen on Monday morning.
The Alaska Airlines Center will be open Saturday, September 25, for the home volleyball match that afternoon.
Dental Assisting
25 Average Number of Applicants Each Year
Over 90% Placement Rate
High Employer Satisfaction
Program Overview
- Undergraduate certificate degree can be completed in less than a year
- Full-time and part-time enrollment available
- Some courses are available via distance delivery (online)
- Applications are accepted year round
- Students complete labs and clinicals in on-campus dental clinic and professional dental offices
- Students accumulate college credits to work towards a degree program
- 31-credit undergraduate certificate program and 60-credit Associate of Applied Science Degree
- The only publicly available accredited Dental Assisting Program in the state of Alaska
If you answer yes to these questions, you may be a good candidate to join our program
and the field of dental assisting....
- Do you want to work in healthcare and be working within 1 year?
- Do you like the challenge of a busy workday with lots of variety?
- Do you like being a part of a team and feeling accomplishment of a job well done?
- Are you detail oriented?
- Do you like helping people?
- Do you have excellent communication skills?
Contact us today for more information!
What is Dental Assisting?
Dentists depend on their dental assistants to be knowledgeable, anticipate their needs and assist in providing quality care for their patients. Dental assistants are essential! Our graduates are sought after and experience a high rate of employment due to their commitment to quality, professionalism, advanced knowledge in which they demonstrate by earning their Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) recognition, upon completion of the program. Our professors are highly experienced in teaching, with 35 years of teaching experience, and our graduates can easily find jobs due to the high demand for dental assistants. The job outlook for dental assistants in Alaska is growing much faster than most occupations. Dental Assisting can be a secure lifetime career with opportunities for advancement.
Dental assistants are responsible for:
- maintaining infection control
- anticipating the dentist needs
- exposing radiographs
- setting up treatment rooms
- assisting in procedures
- taking impressions and fabricating temporary restorations
- providing patient education
UAA graduates often find employment in specialty areas of dentistry, such as:
- Orthodontics
- Pediatrics
- Oral Surgery
- and general dental offices!
Message from the Director
Hello and thank you for your interest in the UAA Dental Assisting Program where your dream of working in the dental field could be less than a year away! Our Dental Assisting Program has a one year Undergraduate certificate degree and a two year Associate Degree. Both of these programs provide students with a gateway to a new, high demand profession. The dental facility at UAA is outstanding and designed to exceed the needs of students as they learn hands-on technical skills. UAA's program and facility is one of the best in the country. The graduates of this program learn all of the skills needed to be a valued, entry level dental assistant. UAA Dental Assisting graduates are highly marketable and often have multiple employment offers upon completion of the program.
-Stephanie Olson, CDA, MS
