If you’re considering a dental assistant career, investing in formal education is the easiest path to entry. Although the Colorado State Dental Board allows supervised Dental Assistant training in a dental practice, it’s challenging to find a practice that will invest the time and resources to train in-house. In addition, formal education provides you with confidence in your new career. It’s also likely to increase your starting and ongoing salary.
Let’s dive in and explore the costs of dental assisting programs in the area, as well as the key differentiators.
How Much Do Dental Assistant Training Programs Cost?
Prices vary greatly from one school and curriculum to the next. Let’s take a look at the price differences from 2 of the American Institute of Dental Assisting’s (AIDA’s) closest programs.
The prices stated below are subject to change:
- AIDA: $5,995 for DA (13 weeks), $3,995 more for EDDA (7 more weeks).
- Pikes Peak State College: $15,000 to $20,000 for a 4-semester program.
- Pima Community College: $9,000 to $12,000 for a 2-semester program.
Do Programs That Cost More Provide Better Training?
Your decision should balance both price and quality. Due to familiarity, you may be tempted to choose a college over an independent program. AIDA takes great pride in the fact that we provide exemplary dental assistant training at an accessible price point. For your peace of mind, we are licensed by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. We also have glowing Employer Testimonials regarding the preparedness of the graduates they’ve hired.
Our program is so revered that we have a lengthy list of local practices that call us when they have job openings.
Pikes Peak and Pima undoubtedly provide high-quality training. There are a few key differences to be mindful of:
- The college programs above are designed to encourage a traditional 2-year associate degree.
- If you take your DA classes individually at the colleges above, you may need to fulfill other Health Sciences prerequisite courses, such as Biology.
- Pikes Peak includes the national dental assisting certification, but if you plan on working in the state of Colorado—this certification isn’t recognized.
- The college programs above may include internships or externships, but the quality of the hands-on experience varies greatly depending on where you’re assigned.
- AIDA provides hands-on dental assistant training in a live dental practice that is invested in developing your skills and providing individual and meaningful feedback.
- AIDA’s program prepares you for the Infectious Control (ICE) and radiation (RHS) exams and includes CPR training and certification. ICE and RHS certifications are required in 39 states, so you’ll be prepared if you plan to work out of state. Colorado law requires the RHS certification.
- Other DA vocational schools in the area don’t provide hands-on training. Internships or externships may be available.
- AIDA provides career placement assistance that includes resume and cover letter assistance, mock interviews, job leads, and more.
What Are AIDA’s Payment Options?
Our program is designed to empower you to begin your new career as soon as possible. We understand that most of our students need to work full-time while completing our program. For this reason, we have convenient evening and weekend classes.
Now, let’s dive into our scholarships, financing, and payment options*:
- We offer in-house credit that requires $1,500 down, with the balance paid over the course of the program.
- We offer scholarships up to $500. Scholarships are available under individual circumstances and require the submission of an essay.
- We refer students to Pikes Peak Work Force (PPWF) to apply for a job training scholarship when they have funding available.
- Students with eligible credit can apply for 2 different credit options.
- Depending on the circumstances, we may provide longer financing periods.
* The scholarships, financing, and payment options above are subject to change.
Want to Learn More About AIDA?
If you’d like to learn more about AIDA’s DA or EDDA programs firsthand, reach out today to schedule a free tour of our campus!