DANB's National Certifications

For those dental assistants who meet the eligibility and exam requirements, national DANB Certification may be earned as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) and/or Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA).

DANB offers the option to take any of its exams in a computerized format throughout the year. DANB Exam Candidate Guides include information on how to apply for the exams, eligibility requirements, DANB policies, DANB exam applications, a listing of CODA-accredited schools, testing locations, a listing of DANB exam reference materials and order forms for DANB study publications.

Download a 2010 DANB CDA Exam Candidate Guide
Download a 2010 DANB COA Exam Candidate Guide

Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)
The Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) Exam is made of of the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), Infection Control (ICE) and General Chairside (GC) component exams.

Download a 2010 DANB CDA Exam Candidate Guide
Includes applications for the CDA, GC, RHS, ICE and RHS/ICE exams.

Read about study materials for the CDA exam.

Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)
The Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam is one of three components of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. There are 100 multiple-choice questions on the RHS exam. There are no prerequisites for the RHS; therefore, no documentation is required with application. Passing this exam allows dental assistants to demonstrate competence in an area that is very important to the health and safety of dental health care workers and patients alike. Candidates who successfully complete the RHS exam may within five (5) years of passing this exam apply their certificate towards a DANB CDA certification mark, as long as they have also passed the Infection Control (ICE) and General Chairside (GC) exams within this time period.
Download DANB's RHS Component Exam Application and Candidate Guide.
Learn about DANB's Conventional Dental Radiography Review Course

Infection Control (ICE)
The Infection Control (ICE) exam is one of three components of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. It is also one of two components of the Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) exam. There are 100 multiple-choice questions on the ICE exam. There are no prerequisites for the ICE; therefore, no documentation is required with application. Passing this exam allows dental assistants to demonstrate competence in an area that is very important to the health and safety of dental health care workers and patients alike. Candidates who successfully complete the ICE exam may within five (5) years of passing this exam apply their certificate towards a DANB CDA Certification, as long as they have also passed the RHS and GC exams within this time period.

Candidates can now take DANB's RHS and ICE exams together (RHS/ICE) in the same test administration for a cost savings!

General Chairside (GC)
The General Chairside (GC) exam is one of three components of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. There are 120 multiple-choice questions on the GC exam. Application for the GC requires specific documentation supporting the requirements of three possible eligibility pathways. Candidates who successfully complete the GC exam may within five (5) years of passing this exam apply their scores towards a DANB CDA Certification, as long as they have also passed the Infection Control (ICE) and Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exams within this time period.

Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA)
The COA exam is made up of the Orthodontic Assisting (OA) and the Infection Control (ICE) component exams.

Download a 2010 DANB COA Exam Candidate Guide
Includes applications for the COA, OA, and ICE exams.

Orthodontic Assisting (OA)
The Orthodontic Assisting (OA) exam joins Infection Control (ICE) as one of two components of the Certified Orthodontic Assisting (COA) exam. There are 210 multiple-choice questions on the OA examination. Application for the OA requires specific documentation supporting the requirements of four possible eligibility pathways. Candidates who successfully complete the OA exam may within five (5) years of passing this exam apply their scores towards a DANB COA Certification mark, as long as they have also passed the Infection Control (ICE) exam within this same time period.