The steps involved to become a dental assistant in Pennsylvania is shown in our article below. We cover it all from picking the right dental assisting schools in Pennsylvania to getting your CDA certification below.
Find Dental Assistant Schools in Pennsylvania
Follow These Steos and You Can Become a Pennsylvania Dental Assistant
Even without any specific requirements for education or training in Pennsylvania, dental assistants, if they are working under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist can perform many of the common basic chairside assisting functions. These duties are clearly defined on their website here. Pennsylvania dental assistants looking to further their careers, responsibilities and salary outlook can look at extended training to make this happen. We get in to this below.
The (EFDA) Expanded Function Dental Assistant in the state of Pennsylvania is a position in dental assisting that is allowed to perform expanded functions supervision of the dentist. You can get this title of (EFDA) if you pass a Pennsylvania Board-accepted written test and graduate from an accredited dental assisting associate’s program with expanded-function or a 2 year college, or you have to have graduated from CODA-approved dental hygienist program with a minimum of 75 clinical and didactic training in restorative duties and functions. You can also successfully finish a Pennsylvania certification program in expanded dental assisting functions with more than 200 hours clinical training from a a CODA-accredited dental assisting training course or from a Pennsylvania Board-approved dental assisting course. If candidates want to do x-ray work or perform radiologic procedures in the dental office they will have to pass the DANB’s Radiation and Health Safety exam and receive authorization from the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry.
Top CODA Approved Dental Assisting Courses in PA
Harcum College
750 Montgomery Avenue Bryn Mawr 19010
610-526-6029
Harrisburg Area Community College
One HACC Drive-B232 Harrisburg 17110-2999
717-221-1731
Manor College
700 Fox Chase Road Jenkintown 19046-3399
215-885-2360 (x288)
Luzerne County Community College
Dental Department
1333 South Prospect Street Nanticoke 18634-3899
800-377-5222×7447
Bradford School
Dental Assisting Program
125 West Station Square Drive Suite 129 Pittsburgh 15219
412-391-6710
Westmoreland County Community College
400 Armbrust Road Youngwood 15697-1895
724-925-4288
Dental Assistant Pay and Job Outlook in Pennsylvania?
With 12,000 people employed as dental assistants across Pennsylvania and an 8% annual growth, the future of the field is really strong in PA. See what the pay is like for a dental assistant in PA below using bls.gov data.
| Location | Pay Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Hourly | $12.24 | $17.76 | $25.00 |
| Yearly | $25,460 | $36,940 | $52,000 | |
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $11.26 | $16.70 | $24.25 |
| Yearly | $23,420 | $34,740 | $50,450 | |
| Lancaster, PA | Hourly | $13.71 | $19.95 | $24.32 |
| Yearly | $28,510 | $41,490 | $50,580 | |
| Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $11.87 | $19.85 | $28.13 |
| Yearly | $24,690 | $41,290 | $58,510 | |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | Hourly | $13.68 | $17.46 | $25.92 |
| Yearly | $28,450 | $36,320 | $53,910 | |
| Reading, PA | Hourly | $12.97 | $17.04 | $25.77 |
| Yearly | $26,980 | $35,450 | $53,610 | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | Hourly | $10.19 | $17.03 | $23.31 |
| Yearly | $21,200 | $35,410 | $48,490 | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | Hourly | $13.47 | $16.94 | $21.27 |
| Yearly | $28,010 | $35,240 | $44,250 | |
| Altoona, PA | Hourly | $10.82 | $16.90 | $22.90 |
| Yearly | $22,500 | $35,160 | $47,630 | |
| Far Western Pennsylvania | Hourly | $12.19 | $16.89 | $21.33 |
| Yearly | $25,360 | $35,140 | $44,360 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Hourly | $12.42 | $16.62 | $23.03 |
| Yearly | $25,830 | $34,560 | $47,900 | |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | Hourly | $12.87 | $16.50 | $21.56 |
| Yearly | $26,770 | $34,320 | $44,840 | |
| Lebanon, PA | Hourly | $12.98 | $15.81 | $22.75 |
| Yearly | $26,990 | $32,870 | $47,320 | |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $9.90 | $15.76 | $26.50 |
| Yearly | $20,600 | $32,780 | $55,110 | |
| Williamsport, PA | Hourly | $12.05 | $15.62 | $23.77 |
| Yearly | $25,050 | $32,480 | $49,440 | |
| York-Hanover, PA | Hourly | $11.52 | $15.56 | $23.46 |
| Yearly | $23,970 | $32,350 | $48,790 | |
| State College, PA | Hourly | $11.39 | $15.45 | $20.11 |
| Yearly | $23,680 | $32,140 | $41,820 | |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania | Hourly | $12.39 | $15.13 | $19.98 |
| Yearly | $25,780 | $31,460 | $41,550 | |
| Erie, PA | Hourly | $10.70 | $14.35 | $18.74 |
| Yearly | $22,250 | $29,840 | $38,990 | |
| West Central Pennsylvania | Hourly | $9.63 | $14.09 | $22.30 |
| Yearly | $20,030 | $29,300 | $46,370 | |
| Johnstown, PA | Hourly | $10.68 | $13.27 | $16.23 |
| Yearly | $22,200 | $27,600 | $33,760 |