Dental assistants play an integral role in the flow and efficiency of dental care.
Dental assistants not only help the dentist during dental procedures, but they also prep the patient, sterilize and disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials during procedures and support office management.
MCC's Dental Assisting program is the most established in the area and the only program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in the KC area. It has a good reputation for quality graduates and consistent 100% success rates on the national dental assisting board exam.
Program highlights
- The only affiliated program with UMKC Dental School. Our students have a unique opportunity to work in integrated clinical setting alongside dental students as well as faculty members.
- Trains DA students in Missouri permitted advanced chairside skills
- Expanded Functions in Restorative I (placing amalgam & composite fillings)
- Orthodontics (placing and removing bands, brackets etc)
- Removable Prosthetics and Fixed Prosthetics courses.
- Hands-on training to operate state-of-the-art Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) which is an extraoral dental radiography machine.
- Classes and hands-on preclinical training are held at the MCC-Penn Valley Health Science
Institute and 300+ hours of hands-on clinical training
- by rotations through UMKC School of Dentistry (during the fall semester) through specialty areas (orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery and pediatric dentistry), and
- through community-based and private-practice clinics throughout Greater Kansas City MO and KS areas (during the spring semester).
Learn more about MCC's Dental Assisting Program
Attend a FREE Dental Assisting Program Bootcamp
If you're exploring the dental field, the Boot Camp taught by MCC Penn Valley-Health Science Institute (HSI) faculty and graduates is the perfect opportunity to have one-day, hands-on experience with the profession of Dental Assisting. Learn more about the bootcamp and schedule.
Attend a Dental Assisting Information Session
Join the Dental Assisting Program facutly for a Zoom information session on any of following dates below at 6 p.m. Registration is required. To register, email hema.updupa@mcckc.edu.
Upcoming dates and registration links
| Date | zoom link and Register |
|---|---|
| September 16, 2026 | Zoom link and register |
| October 28, 2026 | Zoom link and register |
| November 11, 2026 | Zoom link and register |
| January 27, 2027 | Zoom link and register |
| February 17, 2027 | Zoom link and register |
| March 31, 2027 | Zoom link and register |
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For questions, email Hema Udupa.
DENA 100 - Introduction to Dental Assisting
This introduction course introduces students to basic dental terminology, the roles of the dental assistant and members of the dental health team, scope of dentistry, and the legal and ethical responsibilities of a dental health care worker. View class schedule.
Program admission
Additional steps are required for acceptance into this program beyond the standard MCC admission application. The program accepts a new cohort of students every spring that begins during the summer semester.
Admission instructionsProgram Accreditation
The program in dental assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements.”
The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: coda.ada.org.
The Dental Assisting Program is a three-semester program that begins in June and accepts approximately 18 students per class.
Careers
According to the O-Net online, annual wages for entry level dental assistants is $59,200. A certified dental assistant who have passed national board exam can practice as Expanded Function Dental Assistants in Missouri can receive more salary annually than entry-level DAs due to their advanced skills sets.
Bright outlook for Dental Assistants in the Kansas City area
Visit Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to view salary information, employment outlook and personal characteristics needed for this career.
Past students
Class of 2026
Class of 2025
Class of 2024
Class of 2023
Class of 2022
Class of 2021
Class of 2020
Class of 2019
Class of 2018
Class of 2017
Class of 2016
Class of 2015
Class of 2014
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Students will sit for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) as part of the program.
The Infection Control (ICE) and Radiation Health Safety (RHS) examinations are taken at the end of the fall semester, and the General Chairside (GC) examination is taken at the end of the spring semester.
Successful completion of this examination allows program graduates to use the professional credentials CDA, Certified Dental Assistant
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Scholarship application deadlines: October 15 for Spring awards and February 15 for Fall awards.
MCC provides plenty of sources to fund your education, including federal aid, loans, state aid, veterans benefits and more. For information, contact the MCC-Penn Valley financial aid office at 816.604.1000. Apply for financial aid 6-10 months prior to enrollment. MCC scholarship application deadline for the fall semester is March 1.
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Tuition DA CERTIFICATE 55 credit hours In-district
$126/credit hour$6,930 Out-of-district/Metro rate
$246/credit hour$13,530 Out-of-state/International
$332/credit hour$18,260 TUITION DA AAS 75 CREDIT HOURS In-district
$126/credit hour$9,450 Out-of-district/Metro rate
$246/credit hour$18,450 Out-of-state/International
$332/credit hour$24,900 Program Fees* DeaA CERTIFICATE Textbooks (used/new) $500 - $850 Safety Glasses (2 sets) & Uniforms (2 sets) $112-$125 Clinical Student (Background check, drug screen, documentation review) $140 Immunizations Costs vary ADAA student insurance membership with insurance $45 *Approximate subject to change.
** Course Fees ~ $2,970 (For Tier 3 Discipline; Tuition plus $165/per course; 18 total DENA Courses)
Clinical Student (Background check, drug screen, documentation review) = $140 one-time fee unless repeated drug screening or background check required.
Books & Supplies – texts used in the program are to be purchased, retained, and used during remaining semesters of the program
Total Approximate Cost of the Dental Assisting Program (In-District):
DENA AAS =$13,580
DENA Certificate=$8,090