What Does a Dental Assistant Do?
Dental assistants work closely with dentists and other oral health care professionals to provide chairside assistance and infection control processes. Duties vary across jurisdictions, but may include activities such as preparing patients for dental examination, assisting dentists during examinations and treatments, sterilizing and maintaining instruments, preparing dental materials, taking x-rays, tooth polishing, applying fluoride and sealant, and providing education on oral hygiene. Dental assistants who have successfully completed the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) exam may also perform a suite of intra-oral duties such as removing sutures, recording vital signs, applying desensitizing agents and topical anesthetic, and periodontal screening.
How to Become a Dental Assistant
Education
Requirements for dental assisting are not standardized across provincial and territorial jurisdictions; however, in most jurisdictions, dental assistants are required to complete an 8-month or one-year educational program.
Use the search tool on our Find a Program page to find accredited dental assisting programs.
Certification
Certification of dental assistants is provided by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB). All Canadian dental assisting regulatory authorities, with the exception of Quebec, require dental assistant registrants to hold a NDAEB certificate.
Graduates from a CDAC-accredited program or from a non-accredited dental assisting education program that has been granted exam eligibility by the NDAEB may register for NDAEB examination with proof that they successfully completed the program.
Licensure
Licensure for dental assistants is overseen by the Canadian Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities (CDARAs). Requirements for licensure vary by jurisdiction. Please review the requirements for your jurisdiction by visiting the appropriate CDARA website. You can view a list of the CDARAs on the NDAEB registration and licensure webpage.
Other Pathways
Graduates of Non-Accredited Programs
Graduates of dental assisting programs that have neither been accredited by CDAC nor granted exam eligibility by the NDAEB must submit their academic credentials for assessment by the NDAEB Candidate Eligibility Assessment Committee (CEAC). Applicants may only register for the NDAEB examination once they have received an official CEAC letter of approval. In most jurisdictions, graduates of non-accredited programs may also be required to complete the NDAEB Clinical Practice Evaluation.
Quebec and Ontario
Dental assisting is not regulated in Quebec and Ontario. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario requires members to assign Level II duties to dental assistants holding the NDAEB certificate. Information on Level II duties as defined in Ontario can be found on the Ontario Dental Assistants Association website.
Resources
For more information on certification, visit the NDAEB website.
For information on licensure, please visit your jurisdiction’s regulatory body website. A list of CDARAs can be found on the NDAEB website here.
