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Qualified Dental Assistant Registration

Qualified Dental Assistant (QDA) - Registration and Requirements

The Board may grant registration as a QDA to an applicant meeting one of the following 5 requirements:

 OPTION 1. The applicant passed the National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) exam administered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), and completed three hundred hours of on the job training within one year of application.  The NELDA exam consists of three parts:

• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS exam);
• Infection Control Exam (ICE); and 
• Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP)

OPTION 2. The applicant passed the National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA contains RHS, ICE, and AMP exams) certification administered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), three hundred hours of on-the-job clinical training, and completed, within two years before application, sixteen hours of continuing education in accordance with section 20-03-01-06; or,

Option 3. The applicant successfully completed the National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA contains RHS, ICE, and AMP exams) certification administered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), and successfully completed the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education dental assisting education program association; or

Option 4. The applicant successfully completed a board-approved equivalent program within one year of application. Two board-approved programs are:

DA Prep's North Dakota QDA Course 

Bismarck State College’s QDA Program

Option 5. The applicant is licensed in good standing under the laws of another jurisdiction and possesses qualifications, education, or experience substantially similar to the requirements for licensure set forth in this section. Applicants must submit evidence of at least one year of gainful and relevant employment in the practice prior to application. Proof of gainful and relevant employment may include letters of recommendation, payroll documentation, or other materials requested by the board. Applicants must submit evidence of earning sixteen hours of continuing education in accordance with section 20-03-01-06 and meet other criteria as may be required by the board.

All QDA applicants must also complete all of the following requirements:

• The applicant must pass a written examination on the laws and rules (Jurisprudence Exam) governing the practice of dentistry in North Dakota within one year of application.
• The applicant must successfully complete a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course within two years of application. The course can be online for the instruction portion but must be hands-on for the simulation. 
• Grounds for denial of the application under North Dakota Century Code section 43-20-05 do not exist.

Remember: A Qualified Dental Assistant applicant must submit the application and fee to the Board before taking the Jurisprudence Exam. The Board must have your information before you can login to take the exam. Two continuing education credits will be awarded for successfully completing the exam.

A dentist may delegate to a QDA the duties set forth in NDAC 20-03-01-01(2).

APPLICATION STATUS: You may check your application status and take the online Jurisprudence exam on the application status page. This will help you find out what documents the Board has received and what documents are missing before your license/registration will be issued. The Board office updates the status as documents are received in the Board office. The Jurisprudence exam is required for all applicants. 

You MUST submit your application and fee to the Board before you can take the Jurisprudence Exam! We must have your information before you can login.

QDA Registration - Application

• To expedite your application, you may send it to the Board's street address: 
  NDSBDE Office
  2900 E Broadway Ave Ste 3
  Bismarck, ND 58501