DANB Continues Collaboration with Air Force

Military personnel can specialize in a variety of career fields, including dental assisting, but sometimes find it difficult to translate technical skills gained through military training into a civilian career. For students in the Air Force Dental Service (AFDS) dental technician training program, obtaining Certificates of Competency in Radiation Health & Safety (RHS) and Infection Control (ICE) through the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.(DANB) is one way they can demonstrate to potential employers their skills, knowledge, and commitment to the oral health care field.

AFDS personnel can now take advantage of earning both of DANB’s Certificates of Competency (RHS and ICE) during the dental assisting training program. In early 2009, DANB began administering its ICE exam to AFDS students, and as of February 2010, also administers its RHS exam to this stakeholder group.

“DANB is excited to now offer the RHS exam, in addition to the ICE exam, to dental assisting students in the AFDS program. We hope to continue our relationship with the Air Force for many years to come,” said DANB’s Executive Director Cindy Durley, MEd, MBA. “DANB is also interested in collaborating with the other branches of the military and other federal services agencies, and has been pursuing these relationships as well, all in the interest of supporting DANB’s mission of public protection.”

The RHS and ICE exams have no eligibility requirements, and are two of the three component exams to 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. Since the AFDS dental technician training program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), AFDS graduates are also eligible to take DANB’s GC exam at the conclusion of their education program,

Many states incorporate DANB’s component exams into their dental assisting regulatory requirements. The RHS exam has been administered for more than 25 years and is currently recognized or required to meet radiography requirements in 29 states (in 19 states plus the District of Columbia, and as a part of the CDA exam in an additional 10 states). Those who have passed the RHS exam are knowledgeable about the guidelines set by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The ICE exam is required in 3 states, and is a component of the Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) exam as well as the CDA exam. Any of the 29 states that currently recognize or require DANB’s CDA or COA exams for dental assistants who wish to perform various dental assisting or expanded duties, also therefore recognize or require ICE, since it is a component of the CDA and COA certification programs. DANB’s ICE exam has been developed to assess 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.

Over 300 candidates in the AFDS dental technician training program have taken the ICE exam, and 25 students are scheduled to take the RHS this month at Sheppard Air Force base in Texas.

DANB’s continued relationship with the Air Force has been successful in assisting AFDS students in earning the RHS and ICE Certificates of Competency while serving in the military. By administering DANB exams within the AFDS dental technician curriculum, the Air Force gains an independent verification of military personnel proficiency. The partnership between DANB and AFDS to administer DANB exams will help military personnel to meet civilian dental assisting standards and plan ahead for a smooth transition from military life to a rewarding civilian career.