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In Washington, dental assistants must be registered according to the Washington State Department of Health.
Read on to learn more about a career in this field and what the requirements are.
Article Table of Contents
Job Duties
A dental assistant must be supervised by an accredited dentist at any point.
The state also recognizes expanded function dental auxiliary (EFDA) dental assistants, in addition to traditional dental assistants.
Some of the job duties include administering nitrous oxide and teeth whitening procedures.
Dental Assisting Programs
While only an AIDS/HIV course is required by law, pursuing other certifications will help you get more job responsibilities and a better salary.
If you finish a CODA accredited program, you can work with sealant/fluoride varnish, and you will also be able to become an EFDA in this state.
The programs are usually available in trade schools and last from 9 to 11 months.
DANB National License
Besides finishing a CODA-accredited course, you can also pursue a Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) certification.
There are 3 exams required to get this certification:
- General Chairside Assisting
- Infection Control
- Radiation Health and Safety
You can also pursue other certifications, including:
- Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant (CRFDA)
- Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA)
- Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA)
All these certifications need a yearly renewal and 30 hours of extra education.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Bates Technical College | 1101 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, Washington 98405 |
| Clover Park Technical College | 4500 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, Washington 98499-4004 |
| Dental Assisting School of Berkshire College | 3555 McKinley Ave, Tacoma, WA 98404, |
| Dental Assistant Training Center | 5701 NE Bothell Way #2, Kenmore, WA 98028, |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | 11605 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland, Washington 98034-8506 |
| Pima Medical Institute | 9709 Third Ave NE Suite 400, Seattle, Washington 98115 |
| Renton Technical College | 3000 NE Fourth St, Renton, Washington 98056-4123 |
| Spokane Community College | 1810 North Greene Street, Spokane, Washington 99217-5399 |
| Dental Assistant Training Center | 5701 NE Bothell Way #2 Kenmore, WA 98028 |
| Tacoma Dental Assistant School | 1550 South Union Ave, Suite 150 Tacoma, WA 98405 |
| Seattle Dental Assistant School | 5803 15th Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98107 |
| Emerald School of Dental Assisting | 22030 7th Ave. S. Suite 102 Des Moines, WA 98198 |
| Central Washington School of Dental Assisting | 210 Valley Mall Parkway East Wenatchee, WA. 98802 |
| Spokane Dental Assistant School | 6817 N. Cedar Rd., Suite 201 Spokane, WA 99208 |
| SMOKEY POINT INSTITUTE OF DENTAL ASSISTING | 16825 Smokey Point Blvd Arlington, Washington |
| Cascade Dental School | 18920 Bothell Way NE Suite 200 | Bothell, Washington 98011 |
| WEST COAST COLLEGE OF DENTAL ASSISTING | 18321 98th Ave NE Suite 2, Bothell, Washington 98011 |
| Olympia Dental Assistant School | 1502 Bishop Rd. SW Tumwater, WA 98512 |
| Elite Dental Assisting Academy | 2415 SE 165th Ave., Suite 103, Vancouver, WA 98683 |
| National School of Dental Assisting - Puyallup | 10317 122nd Street East Suite D Puyallup, WA 98374 |
| Pacific Northwest Dental Assisting School | 19301 SE 34th St, #105 Camas, WA 98607 |
| Vancouver Dental Assisting School | 512 NE 81st St G, Vancouver, WA 98665 |
| WA Academy of General Dentistry | 19415 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188-5308 |
Getting Additional Certifications
There are several certifications a dental assistant can get to allow them to perform more tasks.
Sealant/Fluoride Varnish certification
This certification allows you to work with kids in school-based settings.
For this, you need 200 hours of experience, be trained in the application of sealants and having finished a CODA-accredited program or receive training from a state dentist.
You will also need to submit an application to the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission.
Radiography
No matter what type of dental assistant certification you have, you need a special x-ray training in order to work in this field.
This includes:
- Familiarization with the equipment
- Film processing
- Radiation protection
Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary
To work as an EFDA, you have to:
- Complete a (CODA)-accredited dental assisting program or get a CDA certification from the board
- Complete a Dental Quality Assurance Commission accredited EFDA program
- Take the Washington State Restorative Exam
- Take the the Western Regional Examining Board clinical test
- 7 hours of training in AIDS
Dental Anesthesia Assistant Certification
To get this certification, you must take the Washington State Restorative Exam (WARE).
The requirements are as follows:
- Pass the Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification Examination; or
- Complete the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Assistants Course; or
- Hold a current Washington general anesthesia permit
- 7 hours of AIDS training
- Intravenous access or phlebotomy course of 8 hours
- Have one of the following certifications:
- healthcare provider basic life support (BLS),
- advanced cardiac life support (ACLS),
- pediatric advanced life support (PALS).
Having extra certifications opens the possibility for a higher salary, regardless of location.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $41,324 |
| Spokane | $37,471 |
| Tacoma | $40,270 |
| Vancouver | $39,380 |
| Bellevue | $41,324 |
| Kent | $40,189 |
| Everett | $40,417 |
| Renton | $41,283 |
| Federal Way | $40,270 |
| Yakima | $37,387 |
Regional Salary in Washington
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | 340 | $52,580 | $25.28 | $60,410 | $40,310 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 440 | $52,330 | $25.16 | $61,100 | $38,400 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 560 | $50,560 | $24.31 | $59,370 | $38,370 |
| Longview, WA | 180 | $48,940 | $23.53 | $57,330 | $37,100 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 200 | $52,280 | $25.14 | $61,660 | $39,210 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 480 | $52,260 | $25.13 | $61,120 | $39,420 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,580 | $57,680 | $27.73 | $68,700 | $48,890 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 1,030 | $48,220 | $23.18 | $55,500 | $39,310 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 90 | $49,100 | $23.61 | $58,740 | $37,480 |
| Wenatchee, WA | 220 | $49,080 | $23.6 | $57,780 | $37,690 |
| Yakima, WA | 440 | $45,870 | $22.06 | $58,250 | $35,030 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Registering As A Dental Assistant
For this, you must fill in the application and submit it along with a $40 fee.
If you were recently hired, you need to get the (BLS) certification within 45 days of being employed.
The 7 hours of AIDS training must be finished through an accredited dental assistant program.
You have to submit your application to the Department of Health.
The dental assistant registration should be renewed yearly on your birthday and costs $21.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Dental Assistant
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