We develop deterministic approximation algorithms for the minimum dominating set problem in the CONGEST model with an almost optimal approximation guarantee. For ε 1/ poly log Δ we obtain two algorithms with approximation factor (1 + ε)(1 + ł n (Δ + 1)) and with runtimes 2O(√ log n log log n) and O(Δ poly log Δ + poly log Δ log* n), respectively. Further we show how dominating set approximations can be deterministically transformed into a connected dominating set in the CONGEST model while only increasing the approximation guarantee by a constant factor. This results in a deterministic O(log Δ)-approximation algorithm for the minimum connected dominating set with time complexity 2O(√ log n log log n).