Registered Dental Assistants are vital to a dental office and to safe, quality dental care. They enable higher productivity by handling scores of duties, allowing dentists and hygienists to focus on more complex treatments. They are essential for ensuring patient comfort, safety, and operational efficiency.
Once an individual is approved by the Board to be a Registered Dental Assistant, a dentist may delegate to them the duties set forth in NDAC 20-03-01-01(4). The dentist must always provide the required level of supervision for each duty.
A CDA is not a title or endorsement provided by the Board. Instead, individuals earn a CDA by passing the Dental Assisting National Board's "Certfied Dental Assistant" examination. To achieve that certificaiton, the individual must meet all requirements put in place by the DANB, including passage of their Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam, Infection Control (ICE) exam, and the General Chairside (GC) exam. See the DANB link for further information. Those who hold a DANB CDA must first register with the Board before carrying out any duties in North Dakota beyond those of an Unregistered Dental Assistant.
