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While dental assistants don’t require certification in Wisconsin, they do need to be professionally trained by a registered dentist.
According to The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), dental assistants can perform:
- X-rays
- Occupational safety and infection control tasks
They are not allowed to:
- Administer nitrous oxide, however, they can assist the dentist in performing the task
- Any permanent procedure
- Procedures that can result in an adverse reaction
- Any preliminary assessment
Article Table of Contents
Training Programs
Training programs take from 9-11 months and are available through trade schools or community colleges.
Upon completing the program, you will also get a dental assistant diploma.
Most programs in this state are CODA-accredited and include both theory and practice.
The classes include:
- Dental health safety
- Oral/interpersonal communication
- Dental and general anatomy
- Dental assistant professional
- Dental radiography
- Dental materials
- Dental office management
- Dental chairside
- Dental assistant clinical
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Blackhawk Technical College | 6004 County Road G, Janesville, Wisconsin 53547-5009 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College | 620 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701-6162 |
| Fox Valley Technical College | 1825 N Bluemound Dr, Appleton, Wisconsin 54912-2277 |
| Gateway Technical College | 3520 30th Ave, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144-1690 |
| Lakeshore Technical College | 1290 North Avenue, Cleveland, Wisconsin 53015-1414 |
| Madison Area Technical College | 1701 Wright St, Madison, Wisconsin 53704-2599 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | 700 W State St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233-1443 |
| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | 2740 W Mason St, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54307-9042 |
| Western Technical College | 400 Seventh St. North, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 |
| Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College | 505 Pine Ridge Drive, Shell Lake, Wisconsin 54871-8727 |
| Professional Institute of Dental Assisting | 1714 N. Randall Avenue, Janesville, Wisconsin 53545 |
| Weekend Dental Assistant School | 2600 N. Richmond Street Appleton, WI 54914 |
| MILWAUKEE CAREER COLLEGE | 3077 N. Mayfair Rd. Suite 300 Milwaukee, WI 53222 |
| Waukesha County Technical College | 800 Main Street, Pewaukee, WI 53072 |
| National Dental Academy | 200 East Bridge Street, Wausau, WI 54403 |
| Northcentral Technical College | 1000 W. Campus Dr., Wausau, WI 54401 |
National Certification
You can choose to pursue national certification through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).
For instance, the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) requires an exam on:
- General Chairside Assisting
- Infection Control
- Radiation Health and Safety
To get chances for a better job, you should also consider taking the CDA’s Radiation Health and Safety examination.
This includes:
- Basic anatomical landmarks
- Elements of radiographic exposure equipment
- Errors encountered during radiographic exposure
- Infection control techniques
- Radiation biology and safety issues
- Radiographic labeling
The Radiation Health and Safety exam have no additional requirements, and you have 5 years to take it.
The CDA certification should be renewed yearly, for which you need 30 extra hours of education.
Dental assistant job in Wisconsin
In this state, the dental assistant jobs are expected to increase by 13.1% in the next years.
The more certifications you pursue, the higher the chances for a better job and salary.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee | $37,384 |
| Madison | $37,169 |
| Green Bay | $36,236 |
| Kenosha | $37,033 |
| Racine | $37,033 |
| Appleton | $36,243 |
| Waukesha | $37,242 |
| Eau Claire | $34,961 |
| Oshkosh | $36,009 |
| Janesville | $37,038 |
Regional Salary in Wisconsin
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | 280 | $45,890 | $22.06 | $55,390 | $38,540 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 290 | $42,540 | $20.45 | $49,930 | $36,040 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | 100 | $43,680 | $21 | $51,600 | $36,210 |
| Green Bay, WI | 420 | $43,600 | $20.96 | $54,040 | $36,770 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 150 | $42,230 | $20.31 | $50,090 | $36,810 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 200 | $44,420 | $21.36 | $50,830 | $37,370 |
| Madison, WI | 760 | $44,910 | $21.59 | $57,160 | $38,300 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 1,900 | $44,600 | $21.44 | $55,580 | $35,720 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 180 | $43,160 | $20.75 | $51,790 | $36,910 |
| Racine, WI | 180 | $42,590 | $20.48 | $49,100 | $37,120 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 140 | $46,560 | $22.38 | $60,020 | $36,380 |
| Wausau, WI | 230 | $43,120 | $20.73 | $52,540 | $36,680 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
If you need more resources, check out The Wisconsin Dental Association where you can find info on updated laws and other career tips.
The American Dental Assistants Association also offers industry tips, programs, and info on how to get better jobs.
The biggest dental companies in Wisconsin include:
- Dental Associates, Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Dental Solutions, Sun Prairie
- ForwardDental, Milwaukee, and Madison
- Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Read the full guide: How to Become a Dental Assistant
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