What is the CDA credential and how do you earn it?
CDA stands for Certified Dental Assistant, the national credential awarded by the Dental Assisting National Board. Earning it means passing three component examinations — Radiation Health and Safety, Infection Control, and General Chairside Assisting — and holding a current CPR or basic life support credential from a DANB-accepted provider. Eligibility runs through published pathways: graduation from a dental assisting programme accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation is the most direct, while other pathways recognise documented work experience as a dental assistant or prior CDA status. The certification is renewed annually with continuing education. Many state dental boards reference DANB examinations directly in their own rules for radiography, infection control or expanded functions, which gives the credential regulatory weight in addition to employer recognition.
- The CDA is awarded by the Dental Assisting National Board and is built from three component examinations.
- RHS, ICE and General Chairside may be taken separately, and RHS and ICE are recognised individually by many state boards.
- A current CPR credential from a DANB-accepted provider is required alongside the exams.
- Renewal is annual with continuing education, and state dental boards determine what duties the credential permits.
CDA at a glance
| Cost | DANB sets application and renewal fees per examination and for the full credential, so check the board's current fee schedule before applying |
| Duration | Three component examinations, which may be taken separately; CODA programmes typically run about a year |
| Issued by | Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) |
| Format | Computer-based examinations at Pearson VUE test centres |
| Expiry | Annual renewal |
| Who needs it | Dental assistants in general and specialty practice; many state boards reference DANB exams for radiography and expanded functions |
| Components | Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) · Infection Control (ICE) · General Chairside Assisting (GC) |
| CPR requirement | A current CPR/BLS credential from a DANB-accepted provider |
Sources: Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) · DANB, Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification. Reviewed August 2026 by the GlobalCybers team.
CDA Exam Format, Three Components
Three exams that can be taken separately
The CDA is built from three component examinations: Radiation Health and Safety, Infection Control, and General Chairside Assisting. They may be taken separately or together, and each is also recognised in its own right — several state dental boards accept the RHS or ICE component individually as evidence of competence for radiography or infection control duties. You must pass all three, and hold a current CPR credential, to hold the full CDA.
What each component covers
How does the CDA affect a dental assistant's career?
Because many state boards tie specific duties — radiography above all — to DANB examinations, certification often determines what an assistant is legally permitted to do in the operatory, not merely how attractive their résumé looks.
GlobalCybers reimburses certification fees after a successful permanent placement through our network.
What the CDA Exams Cover, Component Content
Radiation Health & Safety
Physics and biological effects, ALARA, technique factors, positioning and errors, patient and operator protection, and the quality assurance a practice must run on its imaging equipment.
Infection Control
Transmission routes, standard precautions, personal protective equipment, instrument processing from point of use to sterile storage, sterilisation monitoring and environmental asepsis.
Chairside Assisting
Four-handed dentistry, instrument transfer, isolation and moisture control, and anticipating the operator's needs through the sequence of a restorative or surgical procedure.
Dental Materials
Mixing, handling and placing the materials an assistant manages chairside — impression materials, cements, liners and temporary restorations — and the timing constraints each carries.
Anatomy & Charting
Tooth numbering systems, oral anatomy, terminology and accurate charting, which underpins both clinical communication and the practice record.
Medical Emergencies
Recognising and responding to the emergencies that occur in a dental chair — syncope, allergic reaction, hypoglycaemia, airway obstruction — and the assistant's role in the practice's emergency protocol.
How do you become a Certified Dental Assistant?
Identify your eligibility pathway
DANB publishes several pathways to the CDA. Graduation from a dental assisting programme accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation is the most direct. Other pathways recognise documented work experience as a dental assistant, and there is a pathway for previously certified assistants. Confirm which one applies before you apply — pathway requirements are specific.
Get a current CPR credential
A current CPR or basic life support credential from a DANB-accepted provider is required. Not every CPR course qualifies, so check the accepted-provider criteria rather than assuming any card will do.
Pass the three component exams
Radiation Health and Safety, Infection Control, and General Chairside Assisting can be taken separately or together at Pearson VUE test centres. Taking them separately lets you clear the components your state requires for radiography or infection control first, then complete the full credential.
Renew annually with continuing education
The CDA is renewed each year with continuing education meeting DANB's requirements, alongside a current CPR credential. Because the renewal is annual rather than multi-year, most assistants build the continuing education into their normal practice schedule.
Many States Reference DANB Exams Directly
Dental assisting is regulated state by state, and the rules differ widely on what an assistant may do — radiography, coronal polishing, sealants, restorative functions — and what credential is required to do it. A large number of state dental boards reference DANB examinations by name, most commonly requiring the Radiation Health and Safety examination or an equivalent before an assistant may expose radiographs. That is why DANB components are often taken individually before the full CDA.
CDA, Frequently Asked Questions
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