Why Choose the Dental Assistant Program?
Dental assistants are a key part of a team that can make a positive impact in the lives of patients and their overall health. It is a field of constant innovation, with new technologies and techniques helping promote better health and strategies. Employees value hands-on experience, reliability and a positive personality to match the social dynamic of the workplace, and CPTC's Dental Assistant program promotes all of those.
Our program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and our student test scores on all three parts of the Dental Assistant National Board exams are consistently higher than other schools in the state and nationally. Further, the Dental Assistant Degree typically takes just five quarters to complete - you can get a great education and get ready for a great career in just over a year!
Employers are looking for professional dental assistants that have great soft skills as well as technical skills.
How Long It Takes:
Dental Assistant ADA Accredited AAT Degree: 5 quarters
All program lengths are estimates and are not guarantees.
Potential Careers
Dental Assistant
Dental Assistant Career & Wage Details
This is not a guarantee of employment or a certain wage. Full career data available at careeronestop.org.
Talk with Entry Services in the Welcome Center to APPLY TO CPTC.
Find your timeline and learning plan with Program Maps.
Understand program costs, Tuition, and Fees.
Find Ways to Pay for CPTC.
Search for and enroll in classes in ctcLink by visiting www.cptc.edu/MyCC.
Still not sure or need help? REQUEST MORE INFO.
Meet Your Instructors
Taylyr Breiner
Taylyr Breiner graduated from CPTC in 2015 as a Certified and Registered Dental Assistant with a Dental Assisting Degree in Applied Technology. Taylyr has worked in pediatrics and general dentistry for the past 4 years. In her spare time, she fills in as a Dental Assistant for dental offices throughout Pierce County.
Bldg 14, Rm 101
253-589-6023
taylyr.breiner@cptc.edu
Hannah Precour
Hannah Precour graduated from CPTC in 2010 as a Certified and Registered Dental Assistant with a Dental Assisting Degree in Applied Technology. Hannah worked in an Endodontic Specialty office and a general dentist office for five years. Hannah also holds a BS in Human Resources Management.
Bldg 14, Rm 10 7
253-589-5967
hannah.precour@cptc.edu
Roberta Wirth
Roberta Wirth graduated from CPTC’s Dental Assistant program in 1983 and worked in pediatric and general dentistry for seven years in Tacoma. She’s been teaching at CPTC as a full-time instructor since 1990. She has an MS from Liberty University in Human Services with an emphasis on Executive Leadership.
Bldg 14, Rm 107
253-589-6024
roberta.wirth@cptc.edu
Dental Assistant Program Information Sessions usually occur at 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
To learn more about information sessions, visit cptc.edu/info-sessions.
Visit the Academic Calendar at cptc.edu/academic-calendar to see when the next information session is scheduled.
STORIES ABOUT THE DENTAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM
The dental industry has also undergone many changes as a result of the pandemic, which Precour is incorporating into students’ instruction in real time to prepare them for the job market they will enter when they graduate.
Half of the masks have gone to the dental assistant program. “Keeping people healthy starts with healthy teeth, and we are very excited about this generous donation to our students,” exclaimed Hannah Precour, Dental Assistant Instructor.
Since first coming to campus at Clover Park Technical College, Alexandra Haley has been a key member of the student community in both Associated Student Government and the Dental Assistant program. Her hard work has led to several honors, and the biggest came as she completed the program last month when she was selected as a 2019 New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar.
