Introducing DANB’s new NELDA Certification

Dental assistants enter the profession through many different pathways. Many are on-the-job trained and must have completed at least 3,500 hours of dental assisting work experience (a minimum of two years of employment) before meeting eligibility requirements to earn Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification through the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB). DANB’s National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) certification, launched this spring, is a new step on the dental assisting career ladder, with its own unique eligibility pathways for those who are not yet eligible for the CDA certification.

Learn more about DANB’s certification ladder.

Earning and maintaining DANB certification is a great source of pride and a sign of commitment to lifelong learning. Holding DANB certification also gives you a professional advantage: Employers often prefer certified job candidates, and recruiters frequently seek out DANB certificants to fill dental assisting positions. NELDA certification will allow even more dental assistants the opportunity to access these advantages.

To earn DANB’s NELDA certification, you must pass three component exams within three years:
• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS — 100 questions)
• Infection Control (ICE — 100 questions)
• Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP — 105 questions)

Candidates may be eligible to earn NELDA certification through one of three education pathways or one work experience pathway. More information about the NELDA certification eligibility pathways and renewal requirements is available online. Learn more by visiting www.danb.org.