CHICAGO (June 14, 2011) – The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) is offering its Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam during the Ohio Dental Association (ODA) Annual Session, which is held Sept. 15-18, 2011. This year, DANB’s CDA exam will be administered on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Complete applications, including exam fee and required exam eligibility documentation, must be postmarked or faxed to DANB by Aug. 31, 2011.
Dental assistants who are interested in taking DANB’s CDA exam on Sept. 17 during the ODA Annual Session can download the CDA exam application from DANB’s website at www.danb.org/PDFs/ODA.pdf.
DANB exams are recognized or required in 38 states and the District of Columbia. In Ohio, DANB’s CDA exam meets state requirements to expose radiographs and is often a requirement to enroll in Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB)-approved expanded functions courses. DANB CDAs are also qualified to enroll in OSDB-approved coronal polishing and pit and fissure sealant courses. For the complete dental assisting requirements in Ohio, visit the State-Specific Information section of DANB’s website.
Although DANB exams are offered across the country year-round, the ODA Annual Session is a great time for dental assistants in Ohio to take DANB’s CDA exam.
Lori Lukachinsky, CDA, took DANB’s CDA exam at last year’s ODA Annual Session. Lukachinsky earned DANB Certification as a prerequisite to earning Ohio’s coronal polish certificate. "Our staff was attending the ODA meeting to take classes, so I decided it would be the perfect place to take the DANB exam," she explains. "When I found out that I passed, my knees just about buckled. I was so happy; I called everyone I could think of to tell."
The ODA will offer a review course on Ohio certification for dental assistants. The course, titled "Certifications for Dental Assistants in Ohio," is taught by Paula Oliver, CDA, CDPMA, CODA, and will be offered this year on Thursday, Sept. 15. Dental assistants who attend the ODA Annual Session can register for the course at www.oda.org. While candidates may find this course helpful, DANB does not require or endorse any particular review course.
"The collaboration between DANB and the ODA has brought tremendous benefits to both organizations, as well as to Ohio dental assistants and dentists," DANB Executive Director Cindy Durley, M.Ed., MBA says. "By supporting DANB Certification, members of the ODA are working to ensure that their assistants meet national dental assisting competency standards, and demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning."
DANB will also be exhibiting at the ODA Annual Session. Dental assistants who have questions or want to pick up information on dental assisting certification can visit DANB at booth 824. For more information, visit www.danb.org or call 1-800-367-3262.
About DANB
DANB is recognized by the American Dental Association as the national certification board for dental assistants. DANB’s mission is to promote the public good by providing credentialing services to the dental community. For those dental assistants who meet the eligibility and exam requirements, DANB Certification may be earned in the areas of Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA), or Certified Preventive Dental Assistant (CPDA). In addition to these national certifications, DANB offers Certificates of Competency in Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), Infection Control (ICE), Coronal Polish (CP), Sealants (SE), Topical Anesthetic (TA), and Topical Fluoride (TF). DANB’s CDA and COA Certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Currently, there are more than 33,000 DANB Certificants nationwide, and DANB Certifications and Certificates of Competency are recognized by or required in 38 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Passing DANB’s exams demonstrates a dental assistant’s competency in areas that are important to the health and safety of oral healthcare workers and patients alike.
