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In order to become a dental assistant in Texas, you will need to fulfill certain criteria and education requirements,
Read on in order to learn more!
Article Table of Contents
Getting Certified in Texas
Without certification, you can take the following job responsibilities in Texas:
- Fluoride varnish application
- Treating an existing patient, if allowed by the dentist in writing
- Reversible procedures
- Tooth-whitening procedures
In order to perform other duties, you need a certification from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
These are:
- Pit and Fissure Sealant
- Nitrous Oxide Monitoring
- Coronal Polishing
- Registered Dental Assistant X-Rays
You can take x-rays in the first year of working as a dental assistant, after which an x-ray certificate is required.
Pit and Fissure Sealant License
To get this certificate, you need experience of 2 years as a dental assistant, a basic life support class, and an 8-hour long pit and fissure class covering:
- Infection control
- CPR
- Microbiology and chemistry
- Dental anatomy
- Jurisprudence and ethics related to pit and fissure sealants
- Clinical lab for the application of sealants
After the requirements are fulfilled, you need to send a $30 fee and fill in an application for the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
This certification needs a yearly renewal on the first of January.
Coronal Polishing License
To get this license, you need experience of 2 years as a dental assistant.
You can get this certification in 3 different ways.
1. Finish an 8-hour course in coronal polishing, both theory and practice.
The classes cover:
- Polishing coronal surfaces of teeth
- Oral anatomy and tooth morphology
- Complications, contra-indications, and indications of coronal polishing
- Infection control procedures
- Coronal polishing principles, like armamentarium, patient positioning, and polishing agents
- Texas jurisprudence as it relates to coronal polishing
2. Take the Dental Assisting National Board’s Coronal Polish test, covering:
- Dental and oral anatomy
- Oral prophylaxis
- Coronal polish
- Dental deposits
- Precautions when polishing
- Patient record keeping and education
- Polishing agents and abrasives
- Polishing technique
- Infection control
Take the State Board of Dental Examiners’ Texas Jurisprudence Assessment for Coronal Polishing Exam, which requires the payment of a $54 fee.
The exam is available online and doesn’t have a time limit.
3. Finish a program in another state that is approved by the American Dental Association and includes both theory and practice in coronal polishing.
Take the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment for Coronal Polishing test
Once the criteria are met, you can submit the application along with a $12 fee to the Board.
The certification needs continuing education and doesn’t expire.
Nitrous Oxide Monitoring License
The license allows you to work with nitrous oxide, and requires a $12 fee and attending an accredited course.
The course lasts 8 hours and covers:
- Texas jurisprudence relating to the administration of nitrous oxide
- Dental anatomy and physiology
- Sedation equipment
- Pharmacology
- Patient monitoring
- Management and recognition of medical emergencies
This certification doesn’t expire and also doesn’t need extra education hours over the years.
Registered Dental Assistant X-Ray License
To get this certification, you need to become a member of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
For this, you must take an accredited class covering:
- Texas jurisprudence
- Radiology
- Infection control
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Aspire Dental Assisting School | 9409 Garland Rd Suite 105, Dallas, TX 75218 |
| Coleman College of Health Sciences | 1900 Pressler St, Houston, TX 77030 |
| Concorde Career College | 3015 West Interstate 20 Grand Prairie, TX 75052 |
| Dallas Dental Assistant School, | 2702 McKinney Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75204 |
| Del Mar College | 101 Baldwin Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas 78404-3897 |
| El Paso Community College | 9050 Viscount Blvd, El Paso, Texas 79925 |
| Grayson College | 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, Texas 75020-8299 |
| Houston Community College | 3100 Main Street, Houston TX 77002 |
| Lamar State College | 410 Front St, Orange, Texas 77630 |
| Medical Education and Training Campus – Air Force Dental Assistant Program | 3176 Corporal Johnson Rd, San Antonio, TX 78234 |
| Remington College | 20985 Interstate 45 South, Webster, Texas 77598 |
| Remington College | 300 E. Loop 820, Fort Worth, Texas 76112-1225 |
| San Antonio College | 1300 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78212-4299 |
| San Jacinto Community College | 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505 |
| South Texas Vo-Tech Institute | 2419 E Haggar Ave, Weslaco, Texas 78596 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-McAllen | 2400 Daffodil Ave., McAllen, Texas 78501 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute | 2144 Central Blvd, Brownsville, Texas 78520 |
| Tarrant County College District | 1500 Houston St, Fort Worth, Texas 76102-6524 |
| Texas Academy of Dental Assisting | 4255 Bryant Irvin Rd #112, Fort Worth, TX 76109 |
| Texas State Technical College | 1902 North Loop 499, Harlingen, Texas 78550-3697 |
| Tyler Junior College | 1327 S Baxter Ave, Tyler, TX 75701 |
| Remington College - Dallas | 1800 Eastgate Dr, Garland, TX 75041 |
| San Antonio College | 1819 N. MAIN AVE. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78212 |
If you have a CDA (Certified Dental Assistant), you don’t need to take the class, but you do need to take the Texas Jurisprudence test.
After fulfilling the criteria, you can submit the Dental Assistant Registration Application along with a $36 fee.
The x-ray certification should be renewed every year, on your birthday.
Continuous Education Requirements
If you have one credential, you need to take 6 hours of education per year.
If you have 2 credentials, you need 12 hours of education per year.
The extra hours can be completed either online, through lectures or self-study, as long as the provider is approved by the Board.
You will not need continued education for CPR or Basic Life Support (BLS) training and OSHA training.
Job Opportunities
If you need more professional resources, make sure to check out the Texas Dental Assistants Association (TDAA).
Keep in mind that if you pursue additional certifications, you have the chance of getting higher pay.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $38,718 |
| San Antonio | $36,731 |
| Dallas | $37,409 |
| Austin | $37,150 |
| Fort Worth | $36,807 |
| El Paso | $33,039 |
| Arlington | $36,746 |
| Corpus Christi | $35,031 |
| Plano | $37,247 |
| Laredo | $33,456 |
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 190 | $34,630 | $16.65 | $43,720 | $24,540 |
| Amarillo, TX | 320 | $37,070 | $17.82 | $46,730 | $28,000 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 2,680 | $43,220 | $20.78 | $57,200 | $31,750 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 350 | $37,350 | $17.96 | $46,280 | $27,780 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 310 | $33,630 | $16.17 | $43,300 | $24,160 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 330 | $35,290 | $16.97 | $43,430 | $28,460 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 450 | $37,210 | $17.89 | $46,810 | $27,580 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,550 | $41,270 | $19.84 | $56,080 | $28,830 |
| El Paso, TX | 840 | $32,770 | $15.76 | $43,990 | $22,470 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 7,720 | $39,080 | $18.79 | $48,140 | $28,250 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 390 | $38,270 | $18.4 | $47,160 | $28,500 |
| Laredo, TX | 190 | $34,100 | $16.4 | $44,570 | $24,560 |
| Longview, TX | 250 | $35,170 | $16.91 | $45,100 | $25,620 |
| Lubbock, TX | 350 | $35,030 | $16.84 | $43,320 | $28,200 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 640 | $33,330 | $16.02 | $44,150 | $26,410 |
| Midland, TX | 180 | $40,100 | $19.28 | $48,020 | $30,160 |
| Odessa, TX | 140 | $38,700 | $18.61 | $47,430 | $28,080 |
| San Angelo, TX | 120 | $36,160 | $17.38 | $44,010 | $28,180 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3,180 | $38,310 | $18.42 | $44,490 | $30,380 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 260 | $35,840 | $17.23 | $46,030 | $28,840 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 130 | $35,800 | $17.21 | $44,940 | $28,080 |
| Tyler, TX | 370 | $36,520 | $17.56 | $46,350 | $27,280 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | $39,150 | $18.82 | $52,720 | $27,910 |
| Waco, TX | 260 | $36,550 | $17.57 | $46,010 | $27,800 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 130 | $35,590 | $17.11 | $44,530 | $27,720 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Schools Offering Dental Assisting Programs in Texas
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Aspire Dental Assisting School | 9409 Garland Rd Suite 105, Dallas, TX 75218 |
| Coleman College of Health Sciences | 1900 Pressler St, Houston, TX 77030 |
| Concorde Career College | 3015 West Interstate 20 Grand Prairie, TX 75052 |
| Dallas Dental Assistant School, | 2702 McKinney Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75204 |
| Del Mar College | 101 Baldwin Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas 78404-3897 |
| El Paso Community College | 9050 Viscount Blvd, El Paso, Texas 79925 |
| Grayson College | 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, Texas 75020-8299 |
| Houston Community College | 3100 Main Street, Houston TX 77002 |
| Lamar State College | 410 Front St, Orange, Texas 77630 |
| Medical Education and Training Campus – Air Force Dental Assistant Program | 3176 Corporal Johnson Rd, San Antonio, TX 78234 |
| Remington College | 20985 Interstate 45 South, Webster, Texas 77598 |
| Remington College | 300 E. Loop 820, Fort Worth, Texas 76112-1225 |
| San Antonio College | 1300 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78212-4299 |
| San Jacinto Community College | 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505 |
| South Texas Vo-Tech Institute | 2419 E Haggar Ave, Weslaco, Texas 78596 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-McAllen | 2400 Daffodil Ave., McAllen, Texas 78501 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute | 2144 Central Blvd, Brownsville, Texas 78520 |
| Tarrant County College District | 1500 Houston St, Fort Worth, Texas 76102-6524 |
| Texas Academy of Dental Assisting | 4255 Bryant Irvin Rd #112, Fort Worth, TX 76109 |
| Texas State Technical College | 1902 North Loop 499, Harlingen, Texas 78550-3697 |
| Tyler Junior College | 1327 S Baxter Ave, Tyler, TX 75701 |
| Remington College - Dallas | 1800 Eastgate Dr, Garland, TX 75041 |
| San Antonio College | 1819 N. MAIN AVE. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78212 |
Read the full guide: How to Become a Dental Assistant
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