DANB Offers RHS/ICE Combination Exam

The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) is now offering candidates the opportunity to take the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam and Infection Control (ICE) exam together during the same test administration for $220. This reduced fee represents a cost savings of $80 as compared to taking each exam during two separate administrations.

The RHS and ICE exams have no eligibility requirements, and are two of the three component exams of the national DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. The third component, the General Chairside (GC) exam, does have education or work experience eligibility requirements. To earn the CDA Certification mark, a dental assistant must pass all three component exams within a five-year period.

The RHS/ICE exam administration is ideal for students who have graduated from a vocational-technical dental assisting program that is not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, or on-the-job-trained dental assistants who are still earning the required work experience for the GC component.

The RHS/ICE exam administration is also a way for candidates who have already passed the GC exam component to take the additional component exams in one convenient administration. Of course, it is also ideal for anyone who is prepared to take both of these component exams and who wishes to save money.

“DANB is very excited to offer the RHS/ICE component exam combination,” explains Johnna Gueorguieva, Director, Testing and Measurement. “Not only does the combined exam administration offer a cost savings to candidates, it also meets DANB’s strategic priorities of increasing exam visibility and accessibility.”

The RHS exam has been administered for more than 25 years and is currently recognized or required to meet radiography requirements in 29 states. Those who have passed the RHS exam are knowledgeable about the guidelines set by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The ICE exam is a component of the Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) exam as well as the CDA exam. DANB’s ICE exam is specifically required in three states, and is part of dental assisting requirements for those 29 states that recognize the CDA or COA exams. DANB’s ICE exam assesses competency in infection control and occupational safety, reflecting knowledge of many national standards, among them OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, and the CDC’s Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health Care Settings.

DANB exams are currently recognized or required in 37 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Air Force and the Veterans Administration. Pearson VUE testing centers administer the computer-based DANB exams year-round.

The RHS/ICE application is now available online at www.danb.org/main/examinations.asp in the 2010 CDA Candidate Guide. For more information about DANB, visit www.danb.org or call 1-800-FOR-DANB.