New Jersey State Requirements

Radiography Requirements

To legally operate dental x-ray equipment and perform dental radiographic procedures in New Jersey, a dental assistant must meet the requirements shown below.

• Radiography Requirements

  A dental assistant must be licensed as a Dental Radiologic Technologist (DRT) by the New Jersey Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners. To obtain this license, one must:
  
  1. Successfully complete high school or its equivalent, AND

  2. Be at least 18 years of age, AND

  3. Be of good moral character, AND

  4a. Successfully complete a New Jersey State-approved dental radiography course or its equivalent within the 5 years prior to application and pass the national DANB Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam within the five years prior to application, OR 

  4b. Successfully complete a NJ state-approved dental radiography course or its equivalent more than 5 years prior to application and pass the national DANB Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam within the five years prior to application, and document competent work experience in performing dental radiography procedures within 5 years prior to application (Note: it is illegal to obtain this work experience in New Jersey without the permission of the NJ Bureau of X-Ray Compliance.), OR

  4c. Successfully complete a NJ state-approved dental radiography course or its equivalent and hold current national DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification, AND 
  
  5. Apply for licensure to the State of New Jersey Bureau of X-Ray Compliance.

  Note: A licensed DRT is not permitted to perform conebeam CT procedures unless he or she has met the requirements in the 12/31/13 exemption.  Please contact the Bureau of X-Ray Compliance at 609-984-5890 for details.

  
  New Jersey Dental Radiologic Technologist Requirements brochure (PDF)
  New Jersey Bureau of X-Ray Compliance
  Learn more about DANB's Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam
  Learn more about DANB's Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification

Dental Assisting Job Titles and Requirements for Each Level

• Unregistered Dental Assistant

  An unregistered dental assistant in the state of New Jersey may perform basic supportive dental procedures specified by the state dental practice act under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

  There are no education or training requirements for this level of dental assisting.

• Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)

  To perform expanded functions under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist in the state of New Jersey, dental assistants must be licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA).To register as an RDA, one must:
  
  1. Successfully complete high school or its equivalent, AND
  
  2. Pass DANB’s national Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) or Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) exam (within 10 years prior to application), AND
  
  3a. Graduate from a New Jersey Board-approved CODA-accredited dental assisting program (within 10 years prior to application), or
  
  3b. Obtain at least two years’ work experience as a dental assistant (within five years prior to application), successfully complete a New Jersey Board-approved program in expanded functions, and pass the New Jersey Expanded Duties-General Exam (administered by DANB), or
  
  3c. Obtain at least two years’ work experience as a dental assistant (within five years prior to application) and pass the New Jersey Expanded Duties - General Exam (administered by DANB), AND
  
  4. Apply for licensure as an RDA to the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry.
  
  New Jersey Expanded Duties – General Exam (NJXDG) Application (PDF)
  Learn more about DANB's Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification
  Learn more about DANB's Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) certification
  CODA-Accredited Dental Assisting Programs
  
  

• Limited Registered Dental Assistant in Orthodontics (LRDA-O)

  To perform specified orthodontic functions under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist in the state of New Jersey, a dental assistant must be licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry as a Limited Registered Dental Assistant in Orthodontics (LRDA-O). To register as an LRDA-O, one must:

  1a. Satisfactorily complete, within the past 10 years, a training program for dental assistants approved by the Board and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), AND

  1b. Have passed, within the past 10 years, DANB’s Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) Exam, Topical Fluoride (TF) Exam, and the Coronal Polish (CP) Exam, AND

  1c. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry for registration as an LRDA-O.

  OR
  2a. Be a high school graduate (or its equivalent), AND

  2b. Have at least two years’ work experience as a dental assistant under the supervision of a licensed dentist holding a specialty permit in orthodontics during the five-year period prior to application, AND

  2c. Have passed, within the past 10 years, DANB’s Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) Exam, Topical Fluoride (TF) Exam, and the Coronal Polish (CP) Exam, AND

  2d. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry for registration as an LRDA-O.

  Note: To satisfy the work experience requirement for the second pathway, a dental assistant must complete the work experience requirements needed to sit for the COA examination.

  Learn more about DANB’s Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) certification

  Learn more about DANB’s Topical Fluoride (TF) exam

  Learn more about DANB’s Coronal Polish (CP) exam