Dental Assisting

Dental Assistants work under the supervision of a licensed dentist and assist in the care and treatment of dental patients. They perform a variety of important functions in the dental office. As a vital member of the dental health team, the dental assistant prepares the patient for treatment, provides the dentist with necessary instruments, instructs patients in proper oral hygiene, records dental services, and performs various laboratory procedures and managerial duties for the office.

Employment may be sought as a chairside assistant, receptionist, and office manager to the general or specialty dentist in private offices, clinics, and institutions. The average starting salary for an HCCS Dental Assisting graduate ranges between $16 and $20 hourly.

All individuals who apply for admission to the Dental Assisting Program must beable to perform essential functions included in this document either with or without accommodations. These essential functions are congruent with theTexas State Board ofDental Examiners, the Dental Assisting National Board and the Commission on Dental Accreditation expectations of any individual seeking Certification or Registration as a Dental Assistant.

Click here to download and review the Essential Functions for the Dental Assisting program.

The Dental Assisting program graduates licensures/certifications are issued by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.

There is no national standardization for dental assistants when moving from one state to another, due to different requirements for dental assistants in every state.

To locate this information, access resources such as The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB.) DANB’s State-Specific Information page, which is a compilation of state-specific dental assisting information. You will be able to find out which DANB exams are recognized in any given state, the requirements to perform specific dental assisting functions there, contact information for the state dental board, and more. DANB’s website also lists the dental assistant titles recognized in each state. https://www.danb.org/Meet-State-Requirements.aspx

Please note, every attempt is made to ensure the above information is accurate and up to date; however, some information is subject to change.

If you have any questions or encounter problems contacting the appropriate licensing board, please contact the Program Director at (713) 718-7351

2020–2021 Third-Party Licensure/Certification Exam Results  

Occupational licensure and/or certification pass rates reported by academic calendar year (Sept. 1–Aug. 31). Results for the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 academic years are provided for comparison. 

There are 6,685 Dental Assistants employed in the Greater Houston Area. This number is expected to increase by 10.8% over the next four years.

• The estimated annual job openings is 370 jobs a year.
• Median Wages - $16.10 hourly, $33,000 annually