New Jersey Dental Assistant Requirements
Each state has different requirements for dental assistants. This page includes links to all the information you need to understand the requirements for dental assistants in this state. View the different dental assisting levels, along with the requirements for each. You can also view the allowable duties at each level.
Dental Assistant Levels and Requirements
Limited Registered Dental Assistant in Orthodontics (LRDA-O)
Limited Registered Dental Assistant in Orthodontics (LRDA-O) Requirements
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. Obtain a certificate of completion of the online New Jersey Jurisprudence orientation (within six months prior to application), AND
1c. 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
1d. 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. Obtain a certificate of completion of the online New Jersey Jurisprudence orientation (within six months prior to application), AND
2c. 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
2d. 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
2e. 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.