DANB Mission & Ends

DANB Mission DANB's mission is to promote the public good by providing credentialing services to the dental community. DANB accomplishes and measures the success of this mission through: A properly governed, financially secure, administratively sound organization; Valid dental assisting exams; Dental assisting recertification process integrity; Visible, valuable, and accessible DANB credentials; Testing services for groups within the oral healthcare community; and Information services for the oral healthcare community related to dental assisting credentialing and recertification.

DANB Stakeholders A. Public B. Certificants Current Emeritus Lapsed C. Other dental assistants Dental assisting students Non-DANB Certificants or candidates (have never been DANB Certified or taken any national DANB Exam) Assistants who have passed a DANB national or state exam in the past, but who never were DANB Certificants Current DANB exam candidates Dental assistants outside of the U.S. D. Registered Dental Hygienists E. Educators ADA-Accredited dental assisting programs Non-ADA-accredited dental assisting programs CDE Course providers F. Regulators State boards of dentistry State legislators Federal legislators G. Organizations National oral health care related associations State oral health care related societies/associations H. Federal agencies Military Indian Health Services Veterans Administration I. Dentists/Employers J. Dental insurance industry K. Dental manufacturing industry L. International countries M. Volunteers DANB Board members DANB Consultants (i.e., test construction committee members, item writers, etc.) N. DANB staff O. Vendors under contract with DANB (psychometric consultants, computerized test administration agencies, etc.)
Guiding Principles for DANB Employees in Their Relationships With DANB Stakeholder Groups DANB employees are knowledgeable about DANB’s mission and work toward DANB’s Ends in order to meet the mission. DANB employees diligently strive for accuracy, timeliness, and professionalism in all of their responses. DANB employees follow through, are accountable for their work, and deliver as promised, communicating in a timely manner if or when stakeholder expectations must be adjusted. DANB employees are knowledgeable about DANB policies and procedures, understanding under which circumstances they have discretion and when policies must be adhered to strictly. DANB employees are fair. DANB employees treat each stakeholder with kindness, respect and courtesy. DANB employees are honest in their communications with stakeholders, and behave with fairness and integrity. DANB employees acknowledge and encourage each stakeholder’s efforts and take every opportunity to assist and uplift. DANB employees accord each stakeholder the same type of courteous, respectful, honest, and encouraging treatment regardless of the position that stakeholder holds. DANB employees are diligent and productive, and are conscious of their work in a non-profit environment. DANB employees support and encourage teamwork, working as a team to attempt to resolve all stakeholder concerns. DANB employees know when a stakeholder’s request is beyond their purview, and refers the stakeholder to someone else, either within or outside of DANB, as appropriate. DANB employees are accessible to stakeholders. DANB employees are good listeners and are proactive in clarifying communications, both delivered and received. DANB employees respect diversity of opinion, background, and experience. DANB employees take initiative to learn new information, and work to serve as resources to our stakeholders.
DANB History DANB is the nationally-recognized certification and credentialing agency for dental assistants. When you become DANB-Certified, you join an elite group of over 30,000 Certified Dental Assistants (CDAs) nationwide. The DANB CDA and/or Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) and/or Infection Control (ICE) examinations are required or recognized as meeting regulatory requirements in over thirty states. Since 1948, DANB, a nonprofit organization, has worked within, and has the support of, the dental community. The American Dental Association recognizes DANB as the national certification agency for dental assistants. This recognition is supported by the Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration, the American Association of Dental Examiners, the American Dental Education Association, and the American Dental Assistants Association. For those dental assistants who meet the eligibility and examination requirements, certification may be earned in one or more of the following areas: Certified Dental Assistant – CDA Certified Dental Practice Management Administrator – CDPMA Certified Orthodontic Assistant – COA In addition to these three national credentials, DANB offers an examination in Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) and an Infection Control Examination (ICE). Passing either or both of these examinations allows a dental assistant to demonstrate competence in these two areas that are very important to the health and safety of dental health care workers and patients alike. The RHS and ICE examinations are components of the CDA exam. ICE is also a component of the COA and (the former) Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Assistant (COMSA) examinations. Individuals have the opportunity to take these components separately and earn separate certificates, which make an impressive demonstration of personal achievement. The American Dental Assistants Certification Board, Inc. was founded August 4, 1948, by the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) as a separate and distinct nonprofit agency “to advance the vocation of dental assistants by providing qualifying examinations.” Certification gained American Dental Association (ADA) approval in 1960 and the Board changed its name to the Certifying Board of the American Dental Assistants Association, Inc. the same year. As the “National Board” evolved over the years, the general public perceived the need for independent licensing and certification agencies in order to protect the public’s interest. Dental assisting leadership acknowledged that need and restructured the Board and modified policies in order that the credential “CDA” would continue to be known as the standard of competence in dental assisting. The name of the organization was changed to the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) in 1980 when the composition of the Board of Directors was modified to include dentists/employers. DANB bylaws were further modified in 1989, opening up the Board's decision-making process to other segments of the dental community. In June 1985, DANB developed a separate Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) component for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination to enable individual states to easily comply with requirements contained in the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981. In June 1993, DANB further developed the CDA exam by adding the Infection Control (ICE) component exam due to the continuing importance of infection control in the field of dentistry. The ICE is intended for voluntary use, to discern proficiency in infection control including OSHA requirements, as well as recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the ADA for personnel performing procedures in the dental office. DANB completed the introduction of its specialty certifications in 1986, after four years of development. Its CDA credential was supplemented by credentials for Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Assistant (COMSA), Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA), and Certified Dental Practice Management Assistant (CDPMA). Effective January 1, 2000, the COMSA examination was discontinued due to low participation. However, current COMSAs can continue to renew their credential annually. DANB changed the name of the Certified Dental Practice Management “Assistant” credential to Certified Dental Practice Management “Administrator” in January 2001. This credential recognizes the entire dental office team, which sometimes includes office managers who are not necessarily “dental assistants.” It also acknowledges the important role of “management” in the dental practice. For a printable copy of the general information brochure, DANB Measuring Dental Assisting Excellence, Click Here!