Dental Assisting (RDA, CDA)

Find something to smile about at Mesa College! Our Dental Assistant program offers the courses you need to prepare for state and national boards, as you gain crucial certifications and work toward your career as a dental assistant. Accredited by the Dental Board of California (DBC) and the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association, Mesa College’s Dental Assisting program provides certification courses in Basic Life Support (BLS), Infection Control, CA Dental Practice Act, Radiography, Coronal Polishing, and Pit and Fissure Sealant Placement. 

Learn how to manage the technical responsibilities required of dental care, while encouraging healthy smiles and overall patient health in Mesa College's modern clinic and laboratory-style classrooms. Equipped with the dental equipment used by today's health professionals, you will learn to operate intra-oral cameras, x-rays, and dental software to conduct diagnostics and administer patient care. Guided every step of the way by Mesa College's dedicated educators in directed clinical practice courses, you will develop the interpersonal communication skills you need to work closely with others and rest assured in your future career prospects as a student in a Dental Assisting program that has been ranked among the top 10 dental assisting programs statewide for passing the California RDA State Board Exam. 

Ready to take your next step towards a career as a dental assistant? Here are some frequently asked questions about the benefits of our Dental Assisting program at San Diego Mesa College.

• What does a dental assistant do?
• What courses are needed for dental assistant certification?
• What is the average certified dental assistant salary?
• What kind dental assistant jobs are there?

Program Learning Outcomes

At San Diego Mesa College, this program is overviewed by an Advisory Committee.

View the Dental Assisting Program Policy Manual.