Registration and Licensure in Canadian Provinces/Territories
The National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) is not a regulatory body. The registration/licensure of dental assistants in Canada rests with the Canadian Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities (CDARA) often referred to as a provincial “regulatory college”, “board”, “council” or “association”. All Canadian Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities (CDARA) with the exception of Quebec require initial dental assistant registrants to hold the NDAEB certificate to become licensed/registered/certified as a dental assistant. If you are not certain as to the requirement for the NDAEB certificate in the province you intend to work in, contact the CDARA before registering for the NDAEB written examination or Clinical Practice Evaluation (CPE).
Candidates applying to write the NDAEB examination or registering for the Clinical Practice Evaluation (CPE) do so voluntarily. The NDAEB assumes you are aware of the regulatory requirements in your province before submitting your written exam or CPE application.
Registration/licensure requirements, scope-of-practice, etc. vary between jurisdictions. Dental assistants seeking information on regulatory issues in various provinces/territories are urged to contact the CDARA as listed below.
Canadian Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities (CDARAs)
BC College of Oral Health Professionals
College of Alberta Dental Assistants
Dental Council of Prince Edward Island
Yukon Territories - National Health and Welfare
Manitoba Dental Association
New Brunswick Dental Society
Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Board
Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan Dental Assistants Association
Ontario
Dental assisting is not regulated in Ontario. The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) requires their members to assign Level II duties to dental assistants holding the NDAEB certificate.
For information regarding certification in Ontario, please contact the Ontario Dental Assistants’ Association at [email protected] or call (800) 461-4348. The Ontario Dental Assistants Association is the Membership and Certifying body for dental assistants in Ontario. ODAA Membership and Certification is recommended.
Candidates are advised that the issuance of the NDAEB Certificate does not represent HARP Certification in Ontario. The HARP Certificate is a separate provincial requirement in Ontario. For more information, please contact the X-Ray Inspection Service (XRIS) department, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care by phone at (416) 327-7937, by fax at (416) 327-8805 or by email at [email protected].
Quebec
Dental assisting is not regulated in Quebec. For information, contact:
Ordre des Dentistes du Quebec
800, boulevard René-Levesque Ouest, bureau 1640
Montreal, QC H3B 1X9
(514) 875-8511
Planning a move to another Canadian jurisdiction?
Dental assistants moving between provincial/territorial jurisdictions are urged to contact the CDARA in the province/territory they intend to work in prior to moving. Being aware of provincial regulatory requirements and licensure/registration issues before moving may help alleviate unforeseen barriers to entering the workforce.
Dental assistants may wish to contact the Canadian Dental Assistants Association at
(800) 345-5137 for information regarding the DARA Mutual Recognition Agreement.
Planning a move to the United States?
Dental assisting in the USA is state regulated in a manner similar to provincial regulation in Canada. For information on dental assisting in the USA, contact the American Dental Assistants Association in Chicago, Illinois at: (312) 541-1550 or the dentistry regulatory body in the state you wish to work in.