If you are even thinking about becoming a dental assistant in New Jersey, you will want to read our article below! We get in to deep detail on what to expect in training, how to get started and much more!
The Top New Jersey Dental Assistant Programs
The steps to becoming a dental assistant in New Jersey
The four steps to become a dental assistant in New Jersey are outlined below.
Step 1 – Graduate from high school or earn your G.E.D.
The very first step towards any position you pursue should be completing your high school diploma. Finding a career in the medical field is no exception. There are jobs in the industry that may be secured without a high school diploma, but they typically offer little room for growth.
Step 2: Register for classes accredited by the CODA
The second step in becoming a certified dental assistant is to sign-up for training courses that are recognized by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Dental assisting programs throughout the nation are regulated by the CODA, who operates to standardize instruction in the trade across the nation. Because only students who finish a training course approved by the CODA are immediately entitled to challenge either of the national certification exams, it’s essential that you complete a training program in NJ that’s recognized by this body.
All CODA Approved Dental Assistant Courses in New Jersey
Dental Assisting – Fortis Institute-Wayne
201 Willbrook Boulevard 2nd Floor Wayne 07470 973-837-1818
Program Director: Ms. Marietta Valbuena
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2014
Next Accreditation Visit: 2021
Dental Assisting – Burlington County Institute of Technology
695 Woodlane Road Westhampton 08060 609-267-4226 x8174
Program Director: Ms. Claire Heston
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2012
Next Accreditation Visit: 2019
Dental Assisting – Camden County College
College Drive P.O. Box 200 College Drive Blackwood 08012 856-227-7200 x4471
Program Director: Ms. Roxane Terranova
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Assisting – Cape May County Technical Institute
188 Crest Haven Road Cape May Court House 08210 609-380-0200 x132
Program Director: Ms. Candida J. Ditzler
Discipline Code: DA
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Hygiene – Camden County College
College Drive P.O. Box 200 College Drive Blackwood 08012 856-227-7200 x4490
Program Director: Dr. Catherine A. Boos
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Assisting – Middlesex County College
2600 Woodbridge Ave. Edison 08818 732-548-6000x 2580
Program Director: Ms. Michelle Roman
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2012
Next Accreditation Visit: 2019
Dental Hygiene – Eastern International College
684 Newark Avenue Jersey City 07306 (201) 630-2079
Program Director: Dr. Alaa Mohsen
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2015
Next Accreditation Visit: 2022
Dental Hygiene – Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road Paramus 07652 201-879-5390
Program Director: Ms. Deborah Cook
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2012
Next Accreditation Visit: 2019
Dental Hygiene – Rowan College at Burlington County
601 Pemberton-Browns Mills Road Pemberton 08068 856-242-5234
Program Director: Ms. Linda Hecker
Discipline Code: DH
Accreditation Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements
Last Accreditation Visit: 2014
Next Accreditation Visit: 2021
Step 3: Finish NJ training course and necessary internship hours
After finding an approved program that meets your goals, the next step is to complete it. The academic portion can frequently be completed in 12 months or less, but completing the required hands-on training hours (sometimes called an “externship”) at an actual dental office can take more time.
The classroom portion of your coursework will probably cover all of the principles and procedural-type content that will be found in the certification exam. Allowing students hands-on training in a real dental office, alternatively, is the focus of the internship section of a program.
Step 4: Pass one of the main national certification exams
The NELDA and CDA are assessments that grant nationally-accepted dental assistant credentials. Becoming eligible to challenge either of these examinations requires you to initially graduate from a CODA-accredited training course. You will receive the national credential of Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) by passing either examination.
Each of these examinations are broken down in more detail here.
How much does a dental assistant make in New Jersey?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental assistant compensation in New Jersey varies somewhat from the national median, as is shown in the data table below.
| Location | Pay Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Hourly | $12.24 | $17.76 | $25.00 |
| Yearly | $25,460 | $36,940 | $52,000 | |
| New Jersey | Hourly | $12.84 | $19.96 | $27.80 |
| Yearly | $26,700 | $41,530 | $57,820 | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ MSA | Hourly | $15.08 | $20.89 | $28.73 |
| Yearly | $31,370 | $43,440 | $59,750 | |
| Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $13.15 | $20.75 | $23.95 |
| Yearly | $27,350 | $43,170 | $49,810 | |
| Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $11.87 | $19.85 | $28.13 |
| Yearly | $24,690 | $41,290 | $58,510 | |
| Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ MSA | Hourly | $15.99 | $19.68 | $28.12 |
| Yearly | $33,250 | $40,930 | $58,500 | |
| Ocean City, NJ MSA | Hourly | $13.69 | $19.26 | $28.50 |
| Yearly | $28,480 | $40,050 | $59,270 | |
| Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $11.20 | $18.38 | $23.94 |
| Yearly | $23,300 | $38,230 | $49,800 | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA | Hourly | $10.19 | $17.03 | $23.31 |
| Yearly | $21,200 | $35,410 | $48,490 | |
| Trenton-Ewing, NJ MSA | Hourly | $10.81 | $16.31 | $22.54 |
| Yearly | $22,480 | $33,920 | $46,870 |