The National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB)
The NDAEB was established on November 15, 1997 at which time, the responsibility for the administration of the national examination of Dental Assistants in Canada was transferred from the Canadian Dental Assistants' Association (CDAA).
What Is The NDAEB?
The NDAEB is an independent Board endorsed by many dental assisting associations and regulatory bodies. The Board has nation wide representatives from the Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities, the Canadian Dental Assistants' Association, the Canadian Dental Association, the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada, dental assisting educators from accredited and non-accredited educational institutes, and the public.
Mission
The NDAEB's mission is to assure individuals have met the current national baseline standard in the knowledge and skills required by Canadian provincial or territorial regulatory authorities for recognition as an intra-oral dental assistant.
Vision
The NDAEB will strive for excellence in the provision of valid and reliable national dental assisting examinations.
Values
The NDAEB is committed to fairness, transparency and excellence in the services it provides to candidates, stakeholders and the public.
Board of Directors
The National Dental Assisting Examining Board is comprised of representatives from various stakeholder groups including the Dental Assisting Regulatory Authorities (DARA), The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, dental assisting educators from both CDAC accredited and non-accredited schools, the Canadian Dental Assistants Association, Canadian Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada, and the public. The Board also includes a non-voting position for a Student Observer. The Board members are as follows:
Officers:
NDAEB President - Ms. Trudy Coughlin, B.Sc. CDA II (Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada)
NDAEB Vice President - Ms. Debbie Horin, CDA (Educator CDAC Accredited Programs)
NDAEB Past President - Ms. Paula Parsons, CDA (Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Board)
Members:
Dr. Daniel Albert (Canadian Dental Association)
Ms. Susan Anholt, DA, BA (Saskatchewan Dental Assistants' Association)
Mr. Raymond Bucoy, CDA II (Educator, Non-accredited Programs)
Ms. Armenia Evaristo, RDA (Manitoba Dental Association)
Dr. Michael F. Horsman (New Brunswick Dental Society)
Dr. Don McFarlane (Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario)
Ms. Janet Neduzak (Canadian Dental Assistants' Association)
Ms. Judy Oakley, RDA (Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia)
Ms. Leslie Riva (College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia)
Ms. Jennifer Tewes, RDA (College of Alberta Dental Assistants)
Ms. Gladys Vivian, BSW (Public Member)
Dr. Ray Wenn (Dental Council of Prince Edward Island)
Student Representative (Non Voting):
Ms. Sharon Bromberg, BA, CDA II
NDAEB Chief Administrative Officer/Registrar
Mr. Dave Lamb
The NDAEB Certificate Will...
Provide assurance that dental assistants in Canada have met the educational requirements that allow for provincial registration/certification/licensure/listing and help facilitate labour mobility. The NDAEB certificate is a "one time" acquisition that does not require annual renewal.
Is the NDAEB Certificate Required in Every Province/Territory in Canada?
The NDAEB certificate is presently required for all new dental assisting graduates seeking registration/licensure in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Dental assistants are urged to contact the Dental Assisting Regulatory Authority in the province they intend to work in for details regarding licensure requirements, including the need to hold the NDAEB certificate. (Please refer to the section Registration and Licensure elsewhere on this site).
Ontario And The NDAEB Certificate
All dental assistants wishing to perform intra-oral duties (Level II ) in the Province of Ontario are required to hold the NDAEB certificate.
Preventive Dental Assistants (PDAs) listed with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) prior to January 1, 2000, may not require the NDAEB certificate to perform certain intra-oral duties.
For information regarding certification in Ontario, please contact the Ontario Dental Assistants' Association at www.odaa.org or call 1-800-461-4348.
To confirm the requirement for the NDAEB certificate in your province, you are urged to contact the Dental Assisting Regulatory Authority.
When moving between Canadian provinces, dental assistants are urged to contact the Dental Assisting Regulatory Authority to determine licensing/registration requirements. Please refer to the section "Registration and Licensure" elsewhere on this site.
What Formal Training/Education Is Required?
To be eligible for the NDAEB certificate, dental assistants must have successfully completed formal education in the following mandatory skills:
- Chairside dental assisting
- Expose dental radiographs
- Oral hygiene instruction
- Dietary counseling relative to oral health
- Selective coronal polishing
- Applies and removes dental dam
- Takes preliminary impressions
- Applies treatment liner
- Applies and removes matrix and wedge
- Applies fluoride
- Applies pit and fissure sealant
- Applies desensitizing agents
- Applies topical anaesthetic
- Performs tooth whitening using trays
