Connecticut

Connecticut Dental Assisting Requirements

Below are the Dental Assistant requirements for the State of Connecticut. To confirm that you meet these requirements or if you have any questions, please reach out to the Connecticut dental board.

Disclaimer:This data is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Radiography

A dental assistant must pass the national DANB Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam.

Dental Assistant

A dental assistant in Connecticut may perform basic supportive dental procedures specified by the state dental practice act under the supervision of a licensed dentist.

Effective July 1, 2018, all dental assistants and Expanded Function Dental Assistants must provide records demonstrating successful performance on DANB’s Infection Control (ICE) exam or an infection control competency assessment administered by a CODA-accredited dental education program in Connecticut.

*Note: Current Connecticut dental assistants who have not passed the DANB Infection Control Exam prior to July 1, 2018 have until October 1, 2019 (fifteen months) to receive on-the-job training by a licensed dentist to prepare for and pass the exam.

New Connecticut dental assistants hired after July 1, 2018 have fifteen months from the start of employment to receive on-the-job training by a licensed dentist to prepare for and pass the exam, if they have not done so already.

Please note that DANB’s Infection Control (ICE) exam became a component of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification on June 1, 1993. The ICE exam became a component of the Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) certification on June 1, 1994. Dental assistants who earned CDA certification before June 1, 1993 or who earned COA certification before June 1, 1994 and who have not subsequently taken the CDA, COA or ICE exam after these dates will be required to take the ICE exam prior to April 1, 2019.

Expanded Duties Dental Assistant

To perform expanded functions under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed dentist in the state of Connecticut, a dental assistant must earn Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA) status. To qualify as an EFDA, one must:

Maintain current DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) or Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) certification

AND

Successfully complete an expanded function dental assistant program at a higher education institution accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) that includes educational courses related to didactic and laboratory preclinical objectives and at least four hours of education in ethics and professional standards for dental professionals and a comprehensive clinical exam administered by the higher education program at the conclusion of the program

AND III. Pass DANB’s Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA) certification exam and DANB’s Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant (CRFDA) certification exam Note: The EFDA provisions above are part of a new law passed by the Connecticut legislature in 2016. Additional details related to the EFDA education curriculum and allowable EFDA functions are under development. Effective July 1, 2018, any EFDA must show successful completion of DANB’s infection control (ICE) exam or an infection control competency assessment administered by a CODA-accredited dental education program in Connecticut. Current Connecticut dental assistants who have not passed the DANB ICE exam prior to July 1, 2018 have until October 1, 2019 (fifteen months) to receive on-the-job training by a licensed dentist to prepare for and pass the exam. New Connecticut dental assistants hired after July 1, 2018 have nine months from the start of employment to receive on-the-job training by a licensed dentist to prepare for and pass the exam, if they have not done so already. Note: The DANB’s Infection Control (ICE) exam became a component of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification on June 1, 1993. The ICE exam became a component of the Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) certification on June 1, 1994. Dental assistants who earned CDA certification before June 1, 1993 or who earned COA certification before June 1, 1994 and who have not subsequently taken the CDA, COA or ICE exam after these dates will be required to take the ICE exam prior to April 1, 2019.