Schools & Cost
How Long Does It Take to Become a Dental Assistant?
Anywhere from about 8 weeks to 2 years, depending on the route. A realistic timeline for each Colorado path, from weekend programs to associate degrees.
It depends on which route you take. In Colorado it can be as short as two months or as long as two years, and there's no state license to wait for at the end. Once you're trained, you can start applying.
The main routes break down like this:
| Route | How long | When classes meet |
|---|---|---|
| Private occupational school | About 8–12 weeks | Usually Saturdays or evenings |
| Career college certificate | About 8–9 months | Weekdays, on campus, with an externship |
| Community college associate degree | About 2 years | Full-time college schedule |
| Hired and trained on the job | No set length | Whenever you find the job |
You can see which schools offer which format on our Colorado programs page.
The short-program route
This is the path most career changers in Colorado take, because it doesn't require quitting your current job. A realistic version goes something like this.
Spend a week or two choosing a school. Ask whether radiography is included, check the start dates and set up a payment plan. Get your CPR/BLS card during that stretch too. Our school checklist helps with the choosing.
Then comes roughly three months of Saturdays (or two weeknights) covering infection control, instruments, chairside assisting, x-rays and patient care, along with a lot of practice on models. Many programs also include time with real patients.
Plenty of students start applying for jobs in the last few weeks of the course, and some leave with an offer from their externship office. If you start the search at the end instead, give it a few weeks.
From deciding to go for it to working chairside, three to four months is a fair estimate.
What slows people down
Weekend cohorts fill up, so the class you want may not start for a month or two. Calling early helps.
If your program doesn't include Colorado-approved radiography, you'll need to fit that in before you can take x-rays (here's the rule).
Some schools want immunization records or a background check before you start, and those can take a while to track down.
The biggest one is everyday life. Work schedules change, a kid gets sick, a car breaks down. Picking a schedule you can realistically stick to, with backup childcare arranged, matters more than finishing a few weeks sooner.
After the first job
Getting hired is the start of the timeline. Within a year or two, many assistants add a DANB credential, move into a specialty or take on expanded duties, and that's usually when pay starts to climb. The highest-paying dental assistant jobs shows where that can lead.
If you're wondering what the time commitment costs in dollars, see how much Colorado programs cost.
Program lengths as published by Colorado schools, checked September 17, 2026.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to become a dental assistant in Colorado?
A short private program of about 8–12 weeks is usually the fastest structured route. On-the-job training can be faster if an office hires you with no experience, but those openings are harder to find.
Can I work while in dental assisting school?
Yes. Many Colorado programs meet on Saturdays or weekday evenings so students can keep their jobs.
How long does it take to get DANB certified?
It depends on the credential. The RHS or ICE exams can be taken soon after training. The full CDA has eligibility pathways that may require graduating from an accredited program or logging work experience.