A Career as a CDA

For a list of schools offering the CDA program, click here.

What CDAs Do
Certified dental assistants (CDAs) are an essential member of the dental health care team. They assist the dentist, provide patient education and comfort, patient care procedures, and office administration services.

Certified dental assisting became a regulated profession in 1972 under provincial government legislation, the Dentists Act, administered in the public interest by the College of Dental Surgeons of BC.

Certified dental assistants must qualify through education and examination in order to obtain a licence to practise. There are over 5700 CDAs registered in BC.

Education
Certified dental assisting education is approximately 10 months in duration, involving classroom, clinical, and dental office instruction. The program is offered at several colleges in British Columbia, most of which are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. For more information on Education, please visit the FAQs.

Employment Settings
Certified dental assistants are employed in general dental offices, specialty practices such as children's specialist, orthodontics, or oral surgery. CDAs also practice in hospital dental clinics, the BC Cancer Agency, community health clinics, and residential care facilities for seniors and the disabled. Employment opportunities also exist in CDA education, research, sales and marketing of dental products, and dental insurance company administration.

For further information and description regarding dental assisting, see the provincial government website, Workfutures.

Skills
Certified dental assistants practise in a competent, safe, and professional manner under the supervision of a licensed dentist. They provide a variety of services, including but not limited to, patient education, direct patient care, and office administration. They possess highly effective interpersonal, communications and problem solving skills and enjoy working closely with people and their community. Certified dental assistants make a valuable contribution to their patient's oral health and comfort and are committed to increasing public awareness of the benefits of good oral health.

CDAs assist the dentist by preparing the treatment area, maintaining patient records, passing instruments, and mixing materials. They are responsible for maintaining the operating field, sterilisation procedures, and patient comfort. Other skills include, but are not limited to:

• polishing teeth,
• applying fluoride,
• exposing x-rays,
• applying dental sealants,
• removing dental sutures,
• taking dental impressions,
• placing dental dams and clamps.

Certified dental assistants are required to remain current in their knowledge and must participate in continuing education in order to be eligible for annual re-licensing. Post graduate studies in orthodontics (braces) and prosthodontics (caps, bridges) allow CDAs to perform additional skills in these specialised fields of dentistry.

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for further information on becoming a CDA in British Columbia.

Other dental professions

British Columbia Dental Hygienists' Association
Registered dental hygienists provide a process of care involving professional treatment and advice to help prevent periodontal (gum) disease and dental cavities, as well as ways to support total wellness.