About us
Who we are, who teaches here, and what Bright graduates go on to do.
Who we are
Our vision
To be the region’s most trusted pathway into dental careers — every graduate chairside-ready, confident, and employed.
Our mission
We train dental assistants through small cohorts, real operatory practice from week one, and externships with working clinics, so our graduates step into their first job already knowing the room.
About us
About Bright
Bright opened in 2012 with four operatory chairs and a single cohort of six students. Today we run rolling cohorts year-round from our Harbor Blvd campus: a working simulation lab, a digital radiology suite, and a sterilization area laid out exactly like the practices our graduates join. Classes stay small on purpose — every student assists on live procedures during their externship, and most are working in a partner practice within 60 days of finishing. Financial aid guidance, exam preparation for RHS and DANB certification, and career placement support are part of the program, not extras.
Meet the team
Learn from people who work the chair
Dental assisting changed my own path into dentistry, and I built this program to be the start I wish I’d had: small cohorts, real operatories from week one, and instructors who have worked the chair, not just taught it. If you are ready to work, we are ready to get you hired.
Featured faculty
Maria Rodriguez, RDA
Lead Clinical Instructor
RDA — 12 years chairside, sealant and coronal polish certified
My classroom is an operatory. By the time my students reach their externship, four-handed dentistry is muscle memory.
On campus
Facilities
- Operatory chairs
- Radiology & X-ray lab
- Sterilization area
- Simulation lab
- Dental materials lab
- Library
- Student lounge
- On-site parking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Free Wi-Fi
- Externship placement
- Career services
- Financial aid guidance
Results
Graduate outcomes
- 94%Certification pass rateRHS and DANB component exams, 2023–2025 graduating cohorts
- 88%Employed within 90 daysGraduates placed in partner practices across San Diego County
- 6Instructors
- 10Avg. class size
Graduate spotlight
Ana Reyes, RDA
Hired by her externship site, Harbor Smiles Dentistry, two weeks before graduation.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any prior experience or a healthcare background?
No. Most of our students have never worked in a dental office. The program starts with infection control and dental anatomy and builds from there, so week one assumes nothing.
When are classes, and can I keep working?
Cohorts run evenings and weekends precisely so you can. Most of our students are working adults; the schedule for your cohort is published before you enroll.
What does the tuition include?
Everything on the included list above — training hours, textbook, scrubs, CPR and radiography certification, externship placement and job placement support. The only additional costs are the background check, TB test and Hepatitis B vaccination, which you pay to those providers directly.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes, and it is interest free. You can pay in full at enrollment, or pay a deposit and settle the balance in scheduled instalments across the program. Your exact schedule is shown before you pay anything.
What is the externship, and do you place me?
Eighty hours chairside in a working partner practice, assisting on live procedures. We place you — you do not have to find a site yourself.
Will I be certified at the end?
You finish with a certificate of completion, CPR / BLS certification and dental radiography certification, and you are prepared for the RHS and DANB component exams. Those exams are sat with their own boards and carry their own fees.
Do you guarantee me a job?
No school honestly can. We provide placement assistance, resume preparation and introductions to the partner practices our students extern with — 88% of recent graduates were employed within 90 days.
What do I need to enroll?
Proof that you are 18 or older (or a parent or guardian to co-sign if you are not), a high-school diploma or equivalent, and the enrollment agreement signed. You can complete all of it online from the Apply page.
Accreditation
California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
Approved to operate as a private postsecondary institution. Approval means the school meets minimum state standards; it is not an endorsement.
Ready to get started?
Tell us a little about yourself and our admissions team will reach out.