Information for foreign-trained dental assistants
(3411) Verified: 2009 11 21
Information on requirements to practise
The occupations of dental assistant, dental chairside assistant, and intra-oral dental assistant are regulated by dental boards in all provinces except Ontario and Quebec. Ontario and Quebec do not regulate dental assistants. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, you must be licensed as a full member in the provincial association, which acts as the regulatory body. The provincial regulatory bodies for dental assistants set the standards for entry into the profession.
The National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) administers the national examination to dental assistants who meet the educational requirements for exam eligibility based on the Domain Description for Dental Assisting in Canada. In some cases, the NDAEB’s Clinical Practice Evaluation (CPE) is also a requirement for certification.
All provinces, except Quebec, require the NDAEB certificate for dental assistants entering practice and seeking registration or certification for licensure for the first time. While not licensed in Ontario, all dental assistants performing intra-oral Level II duties require the NDAEB certificate. For graduates of Canadian non-accredited programs, both the NDAEB written exam and the Clinical Practice Evaluation (CPE) are required by all provinces, except Ontario and Quebec; Ontario graduates are only required to write the NDAEB exam. Foreign trained dental assistants and other foreign trained dental healthcare professionals are required to successfully complete the written examination and the CPE to attain the NDAEB certificate. In lieu of CPE, candidates may wish to voluntarily complete upgrading education in the nine intra-oral skills evaluated on the CPE at a Canadian accredited dental assisting education program.
For further information, contact:
- National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB)
- 2255 St. Laurent Blvd., Suite 205
- Ottawa ON K1G 4K3 Canada
- Phone : 613-526-3424
- Fax : 613-526-5560
- Email : office@ndaeb.ca
- http://www.ndaeb.ca
When you know where you will settle and work, contact the appropriate regulatory or professionsal organization (see list below).for regulatory and licensing requirements. For more general information about the profession, contact the national professional association:
- Canadian Dental Assistants' Association (CDAA)
- 2255 St. Laurent Blvd., Suite 203
- Ottawa ON K1G 4K3 Canada
- Phone : 613-521-5495
- Phone (alternate): 1-800-345-5137
- Fax : 613-521-5572
- Fax (alternate): 1-888-683-2322
- Email : info@cdaa.ca
- http://www.cdaa.ca/
Information on assessment of qualifications
Although the provincial/territorial regulatory bodies will provide information on where and how to have your credentials evaluated in Canada, they are not set up to assess foreign credentials before you arrive.
To be considered for exam eligibility by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB), your academic credentials must be assessed by one of three agencies acceptable to the NDAEB. For detailed information regarding NDAEB credentials assessment requirements, please visit the NDAEB website http://www.ndaeb.ca (International Applicants). The NDAEB examination is available only in Canada
If you are asked or wish to have your credentials assessed before coming to Canada, you may contact an evaluation service and consult our Fact Sheet No. 2, "Assessment and recognition of credentials for the purpose of employment in Canada." Although the evaluation services offer expert advice on how qualifications obtained abroad compare with credentials obtained in a Canadian province or territory, the evaluation is advisory only and does not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification purposes in Canada. Please note that they charge a fee for their services.
Other relevant information
For a general description of duties and employment requirements, you can refer to the information prepared by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada regarding:
Specific Provincial/Territorial Information
You may also be interested in the CICIC information pages for:
List of regulatory bodies
Alberta
- College of Alberta Dental Assistants (CADA)
- 166-14315 118 Avenue NW
- Edmonton AB T5L 4S6 Canada
- Phone : 780-486-2526
- Phone (alternate): 1-800-355-8940
- Fax : 780-486-2728
- Email : contact@abrda.ca
- http://www.abrda.ca/
British Columbia
- College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC)
- 1765 West 8th Ave, Suite 500
- Vancouver BC V6J 5C6 Canada
- Phone : 604-736-3621
- Phone (alternate): 1-800-663-9169
- Fax : 604-734-9448
- Fax (alternate): 1-866-734-9448
- Email : info@cdsbc.org
- http://cdsbc.org/
Manitoba
- Manitoba Dental Association (MDA)
- 698 Corydon Avenue, Suite 103
- Winnipeg MB R3M 0X9 Canada
- Phone : 204-988-5300
- Fax : 204-988-5310
- Email : office@manitobadentist.ca
- http://www.manitobadentist.ca/
New Brunswick
- New Brunswick Dental Society (NBDS)
- P.O. Box 488, Stn. A
520 King Street, Carleton Place 820- Fredericton NB E3B 4Z9 Canada
- Phone : 506-452-8575
- Fax : 506-452-1872
- Email : nbds@nb.aibn.com
- http://www.nbdental.com/
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Board (NLDB)
- 139 Water Street, Suite 401
- St. John's NL A1C 1B2 Canada
- Phone : 709-579-2362
- Fax : 709-579-1250
- Email : nfdental@nfld.net
Nova Scotia
- Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia (PDBNS)
- 1559 Brunswick St., Suite 102
- Halifax NS B3J 2G1 Canada
- Phone : 902-420-0083
- Fax : 902-492-0301
- Email : info@pdbns.ca
- http://www.pdbns.ca/
Prince Edward Island
- Dental Council of Prince Edward Island
- 184 Belvedere Avenue
- Charlottetown PE C1A 2Z1 Canada
- Phone : 902-892-4470
- Fax : 902-892-4470
- Email : dapei@pei.sympatico.ca
- Prince Edward Island Dental Council (PEIDC)
- 184 Belvedere Avenue
- Charlottetown PE C1A 2Z1 Canada
- Phone : 902-892-4470
- Fax : 902-892-4470
- Email : dapei@pei.sympatico.ca
Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan Dental Assistants Association
- PO Box 294, 703 Third Street
- Kenaston SK S0G 2N0 Canada
- Phone : 306-252-2769
- Fax : 306-252-2089
- Email : sdaa@sasktel.net
- http://www.sdaa.sk.ca
List of professional associations
British Columbia
- Certified Dental Assistants of British Columbia (CDABC)
- #103 - 3540 West 41st. Ave.
- Vancouver BC V6N 3E6 Canada
- Phone : 604-714-1766
- Fax : 604-714-1767
- Email : info@cdabc.org
- http://www.cdabc.org/
Manitoba
- Manitoba Dental Assistants Association (MDAA)
- 17 - 595 Clifton Street
- Winnipeg MB R3G 2X5 Canada
- Phone : 204-586-7378
- Fax : 204-783-9631
- Email : mdaa@mts.net
- http://www.cdaa.ca/
New Brunswick
- New Brunswick Dental Assistants Association (NBDAA)
- P.O. Box 8997
- Shediac NB E4P 8W5 Canada
- Phone : 506-532-9189
- Phone (alternate): 1-866- 530-9189
- Fax : 506-532-3635
- Email : bernioff@nb.sympatico.ca
- http://www.cdaa.ca/nbdaa/
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Newfoundland and Labrador Dental Assistants Association (NLDAA)
- Unit 274, 38 Pearson Street
- St. John's NL A1A 3R1 Canada
- Phone : 709-237-2243
- Email : nldaa@yahoo.ca
Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia Dental Assistants Association
- P.O. Box 9142, Station A
- Halifax NS B3K 5M8 Canada
- Phone : 902-826-1922
- Fax : 902-820-3015
- Email : nsdaa@eastlink.ca
- http://www.nsdaa.ca/
Ontario
- Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA)
- 869 Dundas Street
- London ON N5W 2Z8 Canada
- Phone : 519-679-2566
- Fax : 519-679-8494
- Email : odaainfo@ody.ca
- http://www.odaa.org/
Quebec
- Association des assistant(e)s dentaires du Québec (AADQ)
- 6705, Jean-Talon E., #203
- St-Léonard QC H1S 1N2 Canada
- Phone : 514-722-9900
- Fax : 514-340-256-8539
- Email : johannelongpre@videotron.ca