Welcome to the Dental Assisting Program Website!
Dental Assisting is a career that is both challenging and rewarding. Dental assistants are people who like helping others, enjoy working closely with patients and the other members of the dental team, and working with their hands. Assistants prepare and sterilize instruments and equipment, provide patients with instructions following certain procedures, make impressions of people's teeth, take patient medical histories, expose and develop radiographs, and make patients as comfortable as possible before, during, and after treatment. Assistants are counted on to be the dentist's "other set of hands."
Dental assisting enhances the efficiency of treatment delivered to the patient in a multitude of ways. Assistants may work in a general practice office where a dentist provides multiple types of treatment, including restorative/operative work (fillings), prosthetics (crowns, bridges, and dentures), and perhaps some surgery. Assistants may want to specialize for work in periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, or orthodontics.
Dental assistants are an integral part of daily office operations and administration, as well as patient care. The receptionist who greets you and schedules your appointments is oftentimes responsible for billing and insurance reimbursement. The assistant who takes and develops your x-rays is also a valuable part of the overall dental care team.
In the state of New Mexico, dental assistants can become certified to perform the following tasks: radiology (taking x-rays), coronal polishing (polishing of teeth), fluoride treatments (the act of placing fluoride on a patient's teeth), and sealant placement (used to prevent decay). These certifications are obtained through the state and are a portion of the Dental Assisting National Board, the written test a candidate may take to become a certified dental assistant.
General Admission Requirements
  • High school diploma or GED
  • COMPASS/ASSET scores
  • Admission to Doña Ana Branch Community College
Program Admission Special Requirements

When a candidate is considered for acceptance into the dental assistant program, the following factors are taken into account:

  • High school and/or college transcripts and GPA (grade point average)
  • HOBET (Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test) scores
  • Proof of county residency
  • Copy of current health care provider CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) card
  • Completion of college-level courses applicable to program
  • Completion of departmental application (submitted before October 15 deadline)