Dental assisting changes across the country

Dental assisting is a growing profession with many exciting developments happening all the time. In the last few months, many state dental boards have passed changes to their practice acts, giving dental assistants additional duties and responsibilities. Among the changes:

· Alabama passed a bill to create an Expanded Duty Assistant license
· Kentucky approved the DALE Foundation’s DANB RHS Review course as meeting state course requirements for radiation safety
· Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming passed rules that allow dental assistants to perform additional expanded duties
· Oklahoma passed a bill requiring all dental assistants to obtain a permit from the state board
· Rhode Island passed a law creating a seat for one DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) to serve on the board

“We’re seeing changes to the scope of dental assisting in many different states,” explains DANB Executive Director Cindy Durley, M.Ed., MBA. “That’s why it’s important for the entire dental team to be up-to-date on the latest regulatory news.”

For more details about these state changes, see the fall issue of DANB’s Certified Press or contact the appropriate state dental board.

To learn what the requirements are in your state, check out DANB’s state-by-state map. You can click on any state to find information on dental assisting job titles, recognition of DANB exams, allowed dental assisting functions and requirements.

If you’re not sure if you or someone you work with has passed a DANB exam or earned DANB certification, you can find out easily in just a few steps! Visit DANB’s credential verification page to search by name and state, or by certification or social security number. “DANB offers credential verification as a service to the dental community and to promote public protection,” Durley notes.

For those who are looking to prepare for a DANB exam or certification, the DALE Foundation, the official DANB affiliate, offers exam review courses and practice tests. The DALE Foundation’s review courses may also help dental assistants meet Continuing Dental Education (CDE) requirements. DANB certificants must earn at least 12 CDE credits each year to renew their certification. To find out if there are any CDE requirements in your state, see the DALE Foundation’s CDE requirements state map.