Become a Certified Dental Assistant
- 36-week Dental Assistant Diploma (Full-Time program)
- NDAEB Qualifying – Eligible for National Dental Assistant Examining Board certification
- Earn $33/hr in general dentistry, specialty offices, and hospital dental departments
- 1,120 hours total: 960 hours classroom + 160 hours clinical practicum
- BCCOHP Compliant – Meets BC College of Oral Health Professionals standards
- 97% employment rate – High demand for certified dental assistants across BC
- Hands-on training: Chairside procedures, radiography, infection control, dental lab skills
- In-house financing available
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NDAEB Qualifying Program
As a Certified Dental Assistant, you will work chairside with dentists providing patient care, performing dental radiography, managing infection control protocols, assisting in complex dental procedures, and handling dental office administration in general dental practices, specialty offices, and hospital dental departments across British Columbia.
Our Dental Assistant Program is designed to meet the standards of the British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP) under the Health Professions Act. Upon successful program completion, graduates are eligible to write the National Dental Assistant Examining Board (NDAEB) written exam and clinical practice evaluation—the gateway to becoming a Certified Dental Assistant in BC and across Canada.
Certified Dental Assistants are essential members of the dental healthcare team, working in general dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, and pediatric dentistry. The comprehensive curriculum covers applied dental sciences, chairside assisting, dental radiography, infection prevention and control, prosthodontics, dental laboratory procedures, preventive dental care, and dental office management. Many dental assistants advance their careers into dental sales, education, or specialty practice management. Your NDAEB-qualifying diploma is your foundation for a rewarding, stable career in dental healthcare.
Program Details
Full Time: 36 Weeks
Grade 12 or Mature Student Status (19 years of age or more).
Language Proficiency Requirements: To demonstrate language proficiency, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Option 1: Evidence that 3 years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8–12), or 2 years if the Grades are 10, 11, or 12, have been successfully completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages. Completion of Grade 10 English (or higher) with a minimum grade of C is required.
This may be demonstrated by providing a high school transcript, completion of a BC Adult Graduation program, or providing international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, or IQAS.
Option 2: 2 years of full-time post-secondary education* have been completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages (includes international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, and IQAS).
*Language development courses (i.e., ELL courses) cannot be included in this calculation.
Option 3: Standardized Language Test Achievement of minimum scores on a recognized standardized language test. Test results should be valid at the time of enrollment.
Name of English Language Assessment/Test
| Name of English language assessment/test | Minimum score(s)/level(s)* |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Minimum overall score of 5.5 |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT | Minimum overall score of 46 |
| Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) | Minimum overall score of 40 |
| Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) | Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, and Writing 5. |
| Duolingo English Test (DET) | Minimum overall score of 95 |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic | Minimum overall score of 43 |
| Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First exam (FCE) | Minimum overall score of 160 or ‘C’. Institutions may include other Cambridge Qualifications at a higher level (i.e., C2 Proficiency (CPE)). |
| Cambridge Linguaskill | Minimum overall B2 level |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | Minimum overall B2 level |
| The Michigan English Test (MET) | Minimum overall B2 level |
| iTEP Academic | Minimum overall score of 3.5 |
| EIKEN | Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1 |
Validity period of above Language Assessment Tests is two years.
Option 4
Mature student applicants:
Applicant is 19 years or older at the start of the program and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education as outlined above.
Applicant provides attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time instruction in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages, and Applicant completes an Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation: Reading, Writing and WritePlacer) and achieves the following minimum scores:
| Accuplacer Component | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| Writing | 235 |
| Reading | 235 |
| WritePlacer | 4 |
Note: Assessment of Prior Education Where English is the Language of Instruction
As an option for proof of English language proficiency, institutions may accept evidence that an applicant has successfully completed a specified minimum of full-time secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction. Documentation demonstrating this evidence must be provided in English.
Education completed (in English) in the following countries will be considered as counting toward an assessment of prior education in English:
Approved English-Speaking Countries
The following countries are considered as those with English language systems / institutions, where English is a primary and official language, and the language used for education.
| American Samoa | Ghana | Saint Lucia |
| Anguilla | Gibraltar | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Grenada | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Australia | Guam | Seychelles |
| Bahamas | Guyana | Sierra Leone |
| Barbados | Ireland | Singapore |
| Belize | Jamaica | South Africa |
| Bermuda | Kenya | Tanzania |
| Botswana | Lesotho | Trinidad and Tobago |
| British Virgin Islands | Liberia | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Canada | Malta | Uganda |
| Cayman Islands | Mauritius | United Kingdom |
| Dominica | Montserrat | United States |
| Falkland Islands | New Zealand | United States Virgin Islands |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zambia |
| Gambia | Saint Helena | Zimbabwe |
After completion of this program and meeting provincial regulatory requirements, the graduates will be able to work as:
- Certified Dental Assistant in various areas such as:
- General Dentistry
- Specialty Dental Offices
- Dental Department (Hospitals, Public Health)
- Other Career Opportunities:
- Dental Sales
- Dental Manufacturing Company
- Dental Laboratory
- Education
Western Community College offers a variety of financial aid opportunities to ease students’ stress and allow them to focus on their studies. If you need extra support, we have flexible funding to accommodate all our students, no matter their financial situation.
- BC Student Loan
- In-house Financing
- Student Line of Credit
- Scholarships
- Bursaries and Government grants available while studying and after graduation too.
Our dedicated Financial Aid Officers will help you every step of the way.
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