For anyone looking at becoming a dental assistant in Nebraska, our article below will cover all the details necessary to decide if you want to get in to the growing allied health career.
What does a dental assistant do in Nebraska?
In general, dental assistants in Nebraska handle a variety of daily customer support and patient care tasks for the dentist. The following link reflects the standard responsibilities that offices put on their assistants.
The steps to becoming a dental assistant in Nebraska
The four-step process for becoming a dental assistant in Nebraska is reflected below.
Step 1 – Complete your high school diploma or G.E.D.
Earning your high school diploma is a basic foundation to finding work in any specialized position. Finding a career in the medical field is no different. And even in the few cases where it’s possible to find employment without finishing high school, the positions often don’t offer much in terms of salary or opportunities for growth.
Step 2: Sign-up for classes approved by the CODA
The next step in becoming a certified dental assistant is to register for classes that are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Dental assisting schools across the nation are regulated by the CODA, who works to standardize training in the industry all-around the country. It’s simply essential that you graduate from a program in NE that is accredited by the CODA, given that only students who have finished an approved training course are eligible to challenge one of the national certification exams.
All the CODA Approved Dental Assisting Classes in Nebraska
Dental Assisting – Mid-Plains Community College
Nebraska
Mid-Plains Community College
1101 Halligan Drive
North Platte
69101
308-221-6418
Program Director: Ms. Jessica Grasmick
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2016
Next Accreditation Visit: 2023
Dental Assisting – Purdue University Global
Nebraska
Purdue University Global
Dental Assisting Program
5425 N. 103rd Street
Omaha
68134
402-431-6110
http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu
Program Director: Ms. Jill Day
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Assisting – Metropolitan Community College
Nebraska
Metropolitan Community College
P.O. Box 3777
Omaha
68103-0777
531-622-4675
http://www.mccneb.edu
Program Director: Ms. Joan Trimpey
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2017
Next Accreditation Visit: 2024
Dental Assisting – Central Community College
Nebraska
Central Community College
East Highway 6
P.O. Box 1024
Hastings
68902-1024
402-461-2467
http://www.cccneb.edu/dentalassisting
Program Director: Ms. Marie Desmarais
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Assisting – Southeast Community College
Nebraska
Southeast Community College
8800 ‘O’ Street
Lincoln
68520-1299
402-437-2740
Program Director: Ms. Crystal Stuhr
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2017
Next Accreditation Visit: 2024
Dental Hygiene – Central Community College
Nebraska
Central Community College
East Highway 6
P.O. Box 1024
Hastings
68902-1024
402-461-2470
http://www.cccneb.edu/dentalassisting
Program Director: Dr. Wanda J Cloet
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Hygiene – University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
40th & Holdrege Streets
Lincoln
68583-0740
402-472-1433
http://www.unmc.edu/dentistry
Program Director: Ms. Gwen L. Hlava
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2014
Next Accreditation Visit: 2021
Step 3: Complete the program and complete the required internship hours
Completing the approved course you chose in the preceding step is your next objective. Though each program is somewhat different, it is very typical for trainees to complete their classroom education and internship in as little as 12 months.
A lot of training courses devote the classroom segment of their curriculum to the material that will probably be included in the national certification tests. With regards to the hands-on section of the course, this is when trainees get hands-on training in a functioning dental office setting.
Step 4: Successfully pass the NELDA or CDA examination
The NELDA and CDA are the two exams that award nationally-accepted dental assisting credentials. Once you’ve graduated from a CODA-approved program, you’ll be able to take either one of them. You will earn the national credential of Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) by passing either exam.
Each of these tests are described in greater detail at the link here.
Dental assistant pay in Nebraska
As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary for dental assistants in Nebraska exhibits the point that salary differs by location. This range can differ according to which state you’re working in and city you live in.
| Location | Pay Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Hourly | $12.24 | $17.76 | $25.00 |
| Yearly | $25,460 | $36,940 | $52,000 | |
| Nebraska | Hourly | $15.78 | $19.55 | $29.54 |
| Yearly | $32,810 | $40,660 | $61,450 | |
| Southeastern Nebraska BOS | Hourly | $16.74 | $21.52 | $26.25 |
| Yearly | $34,820 | $44,760 | $54,590 | |
| Lincoln, NE MSA | Hourly | $16.20 | $20.60 | $25.97 |
| Yearly | $33,700 | $42,860 | $54,010 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA | Hourly | $16.08 | $19.75 | $25.88 |
| Yearly | $33,450 | $41,090 | $53,830 | |
| Northeastern Nebraska BOS | Hourly | $13.26 | $19.51 | $24.69 |
| Yearly | $27,570 | $40,570 | $51,350 | |
| Central Nebraska BOS | Hourly | $15.16 | $18.99 | $28.31 |
| Yearly | $31,530 | $39,500 | $58,880 | |
| Western Nebraska BOS | Hourly | $15.67 | $18.65 | $34.69 |
| Yearly | $32,580 | $38,800 | $72,140 |