AHEC Dental Education
Dental Assistants
New to North Carolina?
If you are new to North Carolina, you are probably learning that there is a difference between a Dental Assistant I (DA I) and a Dental Assistant II (DA II) in this state. Your employer may ask that you become a DA II in order to perform certain tasks in your dental office, as well as for a potential pay increase.
According to the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners, there are some pre-requisites to becoming a DA II. You can learn more about these pre-requisites on their Web site.
Please note that the Dental Board does not certify a Dental Assistant II. There is no certification for DA IIs. Instead, keep records of your fulfilled pre-requisites the Dental Board requires to be classified a Dental Assistant II. You can use these records as documentation for your employer that you are classified a DA II under the state's requirements.
Charlotte AHEC is here to help make your transition to a DA II as seamless and simple as possible, as we offer some of the programs that the State Board requires for this classification. After reading about the State Board's pre-requisites, please read the helpful hints below:
- If you have a certificate and transcript from an ADA-accredited dental assisting program and current certification in CPR – you are classified a DA II in the State of North Carolina.
- If you have on academic year or longer in an ADA-accredited dental hygiene program and current certification in CPR – you are classified a DA II in the State of North Carolina.
- If you have worked in a dental office out-of-state for two years (3,000 hours) during the last five years and performed the functions of a DA II under a licensed dentist, please obtain a letter from that dentist that illustrates your work.
- In addition to your work out-of-state, you will also need documentation of a 3-hour course in Sterilization and Infection Control; a 3-hour course in Dental Office Emergencies; radiology training consistent with the bi-laws of the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners; and current certification in CPR. Charlotte AHEC can help you obtain credit for these courses!
- Please note that if you have had radiology training consistent with North Carolina bi-laws, you must be able to document 14 hours of training – 7 hours clinical and 7 hours instructional.
- If you meet all of the criteria above, you will be asked to take a Radiology Equivalency Exam. After successful completion of the Equivalency Exam, you are classified a DA II in the State of North Carolina.
- You can arrange to take the Equivalency Exam by contacting Ellen Custer at 704.512.6507. Please allow 4-weeks to schedule the exam.
- You may also be classified a DA II in the State of North Carolina by successfully completing the certification examination administered by Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB).
How to become a Dental Assistant II (DA II)
The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners answers your questions about dental assisting, including: the classification of Dental Assistants in North Carolina, their delegable functions, and radiography requirements.