New Jersey Dental Assistant 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.