Infection Control

• According to a bill passed in 2019, all Connecticut dental assistants are required to pass the Dental Assistant National Board’s (DANB) Infection Control Examination (ICE) or an infection control competency assessment administered by an institution accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). UCONN School of Dental Medicine has developed an Infection Control Competency Assessment (ICCA) which meets the 2019 legislation requirement. All dental assistants must provide records demonstrating successful completion of the DANB ICE or the infection control competency assessment.
• Dental Assistants hired prior to July 1, 2019 must successfully complete the DANB ICE or a competency assessment exam by October 1, 2020.
• New dental assistants hired after July 1, 2019 have fifteen months from the start of employment to receive on-the-job training by a licensed dentist to prepare for and pass the exam or assessment, if they have not done so already.
• Effective January 1, 2018, upon successful completion of the Dental Assisting National Board’s infection control examination or an infection control competency assessment, all dental assistants are required to complete not less than one hour of training or education in infection control in a dental setting every two years.
• Click here  for “Substitute Senate Bill No. 807, Public Act No. 19-56: AN ACT CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONERS’ RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES, DENTAL ASSISTANTS AND DENTAL THERAPY. Sec. 13”

Radiation Health and Safety:

As per Substitute House Bill No. 7097, Public Act No. 93-249, AN ACT CONCERNING X-RAY SAFETY and then Public Act No. 95-271-sSB 1121, AN ACT CONCERNING CHANGES TO CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICE STATUTES

• It is still illegal for any dental assistant to expose (take) any type of x-ray unless that dental assistant has taken and provides records to a licensed dentist demonstrating successful completion of the Radiation Health and Safety Exam administered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).
• Click here for “Public Act No. 93-249, AN ACT CONCERNING X-RAY SAFETY, Sec. 4. (a)”

Certified Dental Assistant (CDA):

To become a Certified Dental Assistant you must pass all three exams administered by the Dental assistant National Board (DAN): Infection Control Exam (ICE), Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), and General Chairside Assisting.

Expanded Functions for Dental Assistants in Connecticut:

• To become an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) you must first pass the Dental Assistant National Board’s (DANB) Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination or Certified Orthodontic Assistant examination (COA) or be a current CDA or COA dental assistant.
• Then you must successfully complete an EFDA program offered at an institution accredited by The Commission on Dental Accreditation. Successful completion of an EFDA program at a CODA institution qualifies a candidate to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) EFDA Credentialing exam for the State of Connecticut.
• Click here for “Public Act No. 16-66, AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH STATUTES, Sec. 38. Section 20-112a  ”Expanded Functions for Dental assistant in Connecticut.