DANB Mission

DANB's mission is to promote the public good by providing credentialing services to the dental community. We accomplish and measure the success of this mission through the creation of valid dental assisting exams, recertification requirement integrity, and valuable, visible, and accessible DANB exams, certificates and certifications.  

We also provide testing services to the oral healthcare community, and information services and resources related to dental assisting credentialing to support DANB'S mission. In order to accomplish these critical outcomes, DANB is committed to a properly governed, financially secure, and administratively sound organization.

DANB Stakeholders

Guiding Principles for DANB Employees in Their Relationships With DANB Stakeholder Groups

Trust
We are committed to quality, ethics and best practices in the development of DANB testing and credentialing related services, including meeting all national exam development and credentialing standards.

Communication
Providing information to DANB stakeholders is a priority. We seek to provide full attention as active listeners and proactive problem solvers while providing accurate, and timely information in an easily accessible format.

Respect
We are committed to valuing each stakeholder with equal consideration of his or her needs or position, no matter how big or small.

Initiative
We are committed to continuously promoting the dental assisting profession by seeking to develop new solutions, services, and resources for the oral healthcare community as these relate to DANB’s mission.

Teamwork
We are committed to working together with representatives of our communities of interest to develop and exchange ideas that promote the public good and enhance the oral healthcare community as a whole.

DANB History
As of August 2011, there are more than 34,000 DANB Certified Assistants nationwide. DANB's national certifications and exams are required or recognized as meeting regulatory requirements in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Since 1948, DANB, a nonprofit organization, has worked within, and has the support of, the dental community. The American Dental Association recognizes DANB as the national certification organization for dental assistants. The following organizations assist DANB in developing its dental assisting exams by appointing subject matter experts to DANB's exam committees: Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, American Association of Orthodontists, and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention. DANB's nine-member Board of Directors is nominated by the American Association of Dental Boards, American Dental Education Association, American Dental Assistants Association, American Dental Association, DANB Certificants, and the public.

For those dental assistants who meet the eligibility and examination requirements, certification may be earned in one or more of the following areas:

• Certified Dental Assistant – CDA
• Certified Orthodontic Assistant – COA
• Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant - CPFDA

In addition to these three national credentials, DANB offers Certificates of Competency in:

• Radiation Health and Safety
• Infection Control
• Coronal Polish
• Sealants
• Topical Anesthetic
• Topical Fluoride

The American Dental Assistants Certification Board, Inc. was founded August 4, 1948, by the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) as a separate and distinct nonprofit organization “to advance the vocation of dental assistants by providing qualifying examinations.” Certification gained American Dental Association (ADA) approval in 1960 and the Board changed its name to the Certifying Board of the American Dental Assistants Association, Inc. the same year. As the “National Board” evolved over the years, the general public perceived the need for independent licensing and certification agencies in order to protect the public’s interest.

Dental assisting leadership acknowledged that need and restructured the Board and modified policies in order that the credential “CDA” would continue to be known as the standard of competence in dental assisting. The name of the organization was changed to the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) in 1978 when the composition of the Board of Directors was modified to include dentists/employers. DANB bylaws were further modified in 1989, opening up the Board's decision-making process to other segments of the dental community.

In June 1985, DANB developed a separate Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) component for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination to enable individual states to easily comply with requirements contained in the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981. In June 1993, DANB further developed the CDA exam by adding the Infection Control (ICE) component exam due to the continuing importance of infection control in the field of dentistry. The ICE is intended for voluntary use, to discern proficiency in infection control including OSHA requirements, as well as recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the ADA for personnel performing procedures in the dental office.

DANB completed the introduction of its specialty certifications in 1986, after four years of development. Its CDA credential was supplemented by credentials for Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Assistant (COMSA), Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA), and Certified Dental Practice Management Administrator (CDPMA). Effective January 1, 2000, the COMSA examination was discontinued due to low participation. Effective May 31, 2008, DANB also discontinued accepting applications for the CDPMA exam in order to update the program and ensure that all DANB certifications reflect current practice. However, current COMSAs and CDPMAs can continue to renew their credential(s) annually by meeting DANB's Recertification Requirements.

On April 1, 2011, DANB introduced the Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA) Certification exam.



For a printable copy of the general information brochure, DANB Measuring Dental Assisting Excellence, Click Here!