HomeCoursesDentistry and oral healthCertificate III in Dental Assisting
Certificate III in Dental Assisting
This course trains you to work alongside a dentist, handing over instruments, keeping the treatment area clean and looking after patients through their appointment.
- Duration: 4 months to 18 months
- Study mode: Online, on campus, blended and workplace based
- Course code: HLT35021
Where you can study this course
- Campuses
- 7 campuses
- Duration
- 4 months to 18 months
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- $9,830
- Eligible students: subsidised from $1,450, concession $240
What students say
Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.
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RMIT University
- Campuses
- 15 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often find organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching, while some praise the facilities and campus and student support.
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Queensland
- Campuses
- 2 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- On campus with some online
- Full fee
- $7,560
- Eligible students: subsidised from $3,640, concession $2,800
What students say
Many students rate the facilities and campus highly. Some found course content and organisation and admin frustrating, while opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching.
- Campuses
- 26 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students rate the trainers, teaching, facilities and campus highly, though some found the organisation, admin and communication frustrating; opinions are mixed on facilities and campus.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Box Hill Institute
- Campuses
- 4 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students speak highly of the trainers and teaching, with the campus and facilities also well regarded. Many found student support frustrating, along with organisation and communication.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Open Colleges
- Campuses
- Not yet checked
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
Holmesglen Institute
- Campuses
- Chadstone
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- $11,178
- Eligible students: subsidised from $3,105, concession $621
What students say
Students have mixed views on the trainers and teaching, and many also mention problems with communication and with organisation and admin.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Central Queensland University
- Campuses
- 18 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
A number of students praise the student support and campus facilities, while many found the organisation and admin frustrating and some had trouble with the enrolment process. Opinions are mixed on student support.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
There are no entry requirements for this qualification.
- Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.
- No occupational licencing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- an interest in helping people feel at ease
- a careful and methodical approach to hygiene
- good communication skills with patients and staff
- an interest in dental care and how a practice runs
What will you learn?
You learn how to take and process dental x-rays, sterilise and store instruments, and handle the reception and record-keeping side of a practice. A supervised work placement in a clinic is part of finishing it, so you build the habits real practices expect. It suits people starting out in dental care, whether straight from school or moving across from another health or customer service role.
- Assisting at the chair
- Infection prevention and control
- Sterilising dental instruments
- Dental radiography basics
- Practice reception and records
- Communicating with patients
Units of competency (8 core, 2 elective)
The qualification is made up of 10 units. Everyone completes the 8 core units below, and the remaining 2 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Career pathways
Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.
A recognised route into Dental Assistant
Dental Assistant
Dental assistants work chairside with dentists during treatment and keep the surgery running safely between patients.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,211
- Full-time share
- 42%
- Employment size
- 27,300 workers
- Average age
- 30 years
- Average full-time hours
- 39 hours
- Gender share
- 92% female
- Future growth
- +26.8%
- Job market
- Not in shortage
Complete the required workplace hours and training; this is dental assistance, not hygienist or dentist registration.
Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).