Frequently Asked Questions about the certification of Ontario dental assistants

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010		HOME I LINKS I CONTACT US I LOGIN

CERTIFICATION

EDUCATION

DENTAL ASSISTANTS DUTIES

CODE OF ETHICS

ODAA STORE

WHY IS CERTIFICATION IMPORTANT?

HOW TO BECOME CERTIFIED

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COLLEGE

IMPORTANCE OF FORMAL EDUCATION

ODAA BROCHURES

WHY IS CERTIFICATION IMPORTANT?

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORIES

Have questions about regulation, wages and the duties of Ontario dental assistants? We have answers.

Click the area that you think best suits your query. If you can’t find the answer you seek below, please send us an email at odaainfo@ody.ca and someone will address your question.

Certification (9)

I am so frustrated that the other Ontario dental assistants I work with are not certified. What can I do to get them to become certified?

One of my co-workers says she is a certified dental assistant even though she is not a member of ODAA? I am confused.

I work with an Ontario dental assistant who was “trained on the job.” Can she write the Level I Certification Exam?

What happens if I don’t have all my certification continuing education credits by December 31?

What happens to my certification if I get sick or injured in a car accident?

I have heard that if you are on maternity leave you don’t have to get all your credits. Is this true?

Sometimes, I submit courses that I have attended and we are told that it is worth more credits than what the ODAA gives me. Why is that?

I submitted a list of staff meetings that I attended and the ODAA did not give me credits. Why is that?

I understand that once I have been a certified dental assistant for 25 years, I no longer have to collect continuing education credits. Correct?

Dental assistant duties (10)

I often hear about a Level III dental assistant. Where can I upgrade to Level III?

A dental assistant in my office says she only needs to be HARP-certified to take radiographs. I’m confused because I thought the ODAA was the certifying body for dental assistants. Please clarify this for me.

Are dental assistants allowed to etch?

I am a Level II assistant and have heard that our duties list could expand once dental assisting is a regulated health profession in Ontario. What type of expanded duties can we expect?

Can Level II assistants do ZOOM bleaching?

I am a CDA II and would like to open an independent sports-guard and tooth-whitening clinic. What tooth-whitening agents can I use, and am I allowed to take impressions and fabricate the sports guards and whitening trays?

Can a certified dental assistant take a radiograph of a hygiene patient if the dentist is out of the office? Does the dentist have to assign the taking of the radiograph directly to the dental assistant or is it seen to be part of the standing order for a recall?

Recently, a certified dental assistant in our area opened up a tooth-whitening business. Is this allowed?

Please clarify what dental assistants can do with respect to impressions?

Should healthcare professionals wear their uniforms in public? What about cross-contamination?

Dental Hygiene (2)

There seems to be a lot of hygiene program ads in our Journal. Why is the ODAA allowing this when we should be promoting our own profession?

I am interested in becoming a dental hygienist. Do you have any advice?

Employee Rights (2)

My employer of 12 years has just sold his practice to another dentist who has stated that he will keep all the same staff. What rights do I have as an employee?

One of my co-workers has developed a very bad allergy to acrylic. This makes her job very difficult. What can she do?

Locating to another province (1)

I am a Level II assistant who graduated from CDI College in 2002. I have written the NDAEB examination. I am re-locating to Alberta in 2009 and I am wondering what I need to do to get a license in Alberta. I have heard that they are regulated there.

Membership and Fees (4)

Our membership dues seem to go up every year. Just what does the ODAA use all the membership money for?

What happens if I don’t pay my membership fee by December 31?

Sometimes I have trouble coming up with the entire membership fee at renewal time. Will the ODAA help me out with this?

How does ODAA prefer to have renewals paid, by cheque or credit card?

Regulation (4)

I am a chairside assistant (Level I) and I am wondering what will happen to me when dental assisting becomes a regulated health profession? Will I have to upgrade to a Level II?

I have been a certified dental assistant for 18 years, but I did not graduate from an educational program. I attended a HARP course, so I am qualified to take radiographs. Will I have to go back to school to become a regulated dental assistant?

I am a Certified Dental Receptionist (CDR). What will happen to me when dental assisting becomes regulated?

I heard that becoming regulated will mean that we will have to have our own malpractice insurance. How costly is this?

Wage Negotiation (2)

I recently asked for a raise and was not successful. Before approaching my boss, I was given some suggestions from the ODAA, but it didn’t matter. I love working here. I really don’t want to leave. What else can I do?

We need to make dentists pay dental assistants better. Can we form a union?

(Your postal code. Example: "N5W 2Z8")

Fourth Annual ODAA Conference

ODAA Annual General Meeting

GSK Consumer Advisory Warning

2009 Fall Media Campaign

HOME I PRIVACY POLICY I TERMS OF USE I SITE MAP I LINKS I CONTACT US