DANB introduces new CDA certification pathway
The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) is introducing a new pathway for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification to increase the number of qualified dental assistants.
“The dental assisting field has changed over the last several years, and DANB is committed to ensuring a robust and qualified workforce,” says DANB CEO Laura Skarnulis. “Dental assistants enter the profession through many different pathways, and our CDA certification eligibility is evolving to reflect that.”
Earning CDA certification is a career milestone for dental assistants and is recognized or required by many states to become registered, licensed, or qualified to perform expanded duties. Certified Dental Assistants bring value to dental practices through their clinical leadership, practice productivity, and employer loyalty.
“CDAs deliver benefits to dental practices and clinics — plus holding certification enhances their career prospects and supports overall dental assistant workforce growth,” Skarnulis adds. “This new pathway will give more qualified dental assistants an opportunity to pursue CDA certification and proudly list ‘CDA’ after their name.”
Identifying the need for change
DANB identified the need for change after years of observing shifts in the dental assisting education landscape. Graduating from a dental assisting program that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) used to be the primary route that dental assistants earned CDA certification. However, the number of CODA graduates and the available CODA programs have significantly decreased over the last 10 years.
At the same time, there’s been significant growth in quality programs that are not CODA accredited but are within institutions that are accredited. These programs play an important role in preparing new dental assistants to enter the workforce.
Many of the dental assisting programs within accredited institutions have similar program formats and curriculum hours to CODA-accredited programs. DANB evaluated how dental assistants from these programs performed on the certification exam and found that they performed well when the program met certain criteria.
“DANB takes a measured, evidence-based approach when considering changes to certification eligibility,” says DANB COO Phara Rodrigue. “We carefully evaluated the education, clinical preparation, and exam performance associated with this pathway to ensure that expanding access does not change the standard candidates must meet to earn CDA certification.”
The new pathway provides comprehensive opportunities for dental assistants to earn CDA certification and rounds out the current pathway options, which include graduating from a CODA-accredited program, earning required work experience, or attending a dental degree program within or outside the United States.
Program approval criteria and next steps
DANB is currently inviting programs to apply for approval under the new pathway. Programs are eligible if they are in a school accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education and are at least 900 total instructional hours, including 300 clinical hours (which aligns with CODA standards), or 700 hours, including 200 clinical hours, with the candidate having at least 200 additional hours of work experience.
Programs will be approved on a rolling basis throughout the rest of the year, and the new pathway will be officially available in early 2027.