The following organizations also contribute to the quality and success of DANB certification programs by appointing subject matter experts to DANB Exam Committees: Academy of General Dentistry, Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, American Association of Orthodontists and the Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures.

DANB's mission is to promote the public good by providing credentialing services to the dental community. We accomplish and measure the success of this mission through the creation of valid dental assisting exams, recertification requirement integrity, and valuable, visible, and accessible DANB exams, certificates and certifications.

DANB also provides testing services to the oral healthcare community, and information services and resources related to dental assisting credentialing to support DANB'S mission. In order to accomplish these critical outcomes, DANB is committed to a properly governed, financially secure, and administratively sound organization.

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DANB has contracted with Pearson VUE to administer computerized DANB exams year-round. This allows candidates flexibility in scheduling location, dates, and times. There are no application deadlines.

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2. Passes DANB’s Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam, which is comprised of component exams Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), Infection Control (ICE), and General Chairside Assisting (GC), AND

3. Is currently CPR certified, AND

4. Continues to maintain the credential by meeting DANB Recertification Requirements (including continuing education, current CPR certification and annual fee)."

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The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentiling Excellence. Established in 1977 under a federal directive from the Carter administration, NCCA's mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of certification programs that assess professional competence.

DANB is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, and DANB's national exam programs (Certified Dental Assistant [CDA] and Certified Orthodontic Assistant [COA]) are accredited by NCCA. NCCA accreditation means that DANB's exam programs meet the highest standards to ensure validity, reliability, and objectivity in the testing process.

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Also as of August 5, 2009, the following number of individuals hold DANB Certification:

Credential		Number
CDA		30,739
COA		1,440
CDPMA		400
COMSA		228

In addition, since 1997, more than 65,700 dental assistants have passed DANB's Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam and more than 41,600 dental assistants have passed the Infection Control (ICE) exam.

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Members of DANB’s 9-member Board of Directors are elected by the current DANB Board, after receipt of nominations of slates of at least two qualified candidates per DANB Board vacancy, from these four dental membership organizations: the American Dental Association (ADA) (2 directors), the American Association of Dental Examiners (AADE) (1), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) (1), and the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) (3). The remaining two DANB Board Directors are represented by DANB Certificants-At-Large (1), and the public (1).

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Greater earning power is another key benefit to certification. According to the 2008 DANB Certificant Salary Survey, DANB Certificants can earn as much as $2.38 more per hour compared to non-DANB-Certified colleagues.

Additionally, DANB Certified Assistants maintain a professional advantage in the job market. Dentists and other employers often look for and/or require CDA or COA credentials. Moreover, DANB Certification is often a prerequisite to performing expanded functions, and is required for those who are educators in CODA-accredited dental assisting programs.

In the dental office, DANB Certified Assistants stand out as professionals in the industry, which translates to improved hire-ability. DANB Certification demonstrates to colleagues and employers that the dental assistant has passed rigorous exams and met national certification standards. As a result, many DANB Certificants benefit from greater job satisfaction, and are often role models to their colleagues.

Networking and employment opportunities are also available to DANB Certified Assistants. Many employers and recruiting firms turn to DANB for mailing lists of Certified Assistants to aid in their staffing and recruitment efforts. CDAs can also post their resumes on dentalworkers.com to find employment opportunities.

DANB provides its Certified Assistants with:

From the 2008 DANB Certificant Salary Survey, DANB CDAs, on average, stay with the same employer 9.4 years. In addition, the amount of time a DANB CDA is employed as a practicing dental assistant has risen to 16.7 years on average. Both of these figures represent increases from the 2006 survey.

In addition to the clear financial impact of less turnover, the relative stability of DANB Certificants helps create a stronger team orientation in the office. In the practice setting, dentists benefit from patients seeing the same personnel from visit to visit. This elevates the feelings of comfort and confidence in the practice and may improve patient retention.

Because Continuing Education is part of DANB’s Recertification Requirements, DANB Certificants are lifelong learners. They are on the leading edge of the dental assisting field, and continuously expanding their knowledge and skills. This advances not only the dental assistants’ career, but also the dental practices in which they work. DANB Certification is confirmation of a professional commitment to high standards in the practice of dental assisting.

The presence of DANB Certificants in the dental practice elevates the professionalism of the office. Not only is the dental assistant more confident in his/her abilities, the dentist can be more confident in the dental assistant, in the knowledge of professional vocabulary and practice standards, and in the performance of his/her responsibilities. DANB Certification provides a level of assurance that the dental assistant has obtained the knowledge and skills to enable him or her to competently provide the patient with quality care. Earning DANB Certification increases credibility of a dental assistant among colleagues, patients, employers and the community.

In some states, DANB Certification allows the dental assistant to perform expanded duties, thus increasing effectiveness of the dental office. In the 37 states, plus Washington, D.C., that require or recognize DANB exams, DANB Certification assists the dentist in complying with state regulations. Hiring DANB Certificants can help standardize hiring practices and office protocol, and reduces subjectivity in dental office hiring decisions.

Beyond compliance, dental assistants who are DANB Certified provide a level of professionalism that can positively affect the practice’s bottom line. A dental assistant who is DANB Certified has been tested and has demonstrated knowledge, skills and professional abilities. Supervisory needs may also be reduced, as allowed by state law – offering the dentist and the dental assistant more autonomy and more freedom, increasing practice efficiency, as well as access to care.

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Other benefits for the patient (and the patient's family) are:

• DANB Certification provides a level of assurance that the dental assistant has obtained the knowledge and skills to enable him or her to competently provide the patient with quality care.
• Certification can strengthen a patient's confidence in the dental team - a team that consists of a licensed dentist, registered hygienist and a DANB Certified Assistant.
• Certified assistants are knowledgeable about protective measures that enhance patient health and safety.

Howard C. Bell, DDS - Chair, ADA Nominee (Florida)
Richard Hunt III, DDS - Vice Chair, ADA Nominee (North Carolina)
Karen Minca, CDPMA - Secretary, ADAA Nominee (Michigan)

Bruce Barrette, DDS - AADB Nominee (Wisconsin) Carolyn Breen, CDA, RDA, RDH, Ed.D - ADAA Nominee (New Jersey)
Marlene Futterman, MA - Public Member (Washington, DC)
Donna Kotyk, CDA, RDH - ADEA Nominee (Montana)
Carla Schneider, CDA, RDA - ADAA Nominee (North Dakota)

Cynthia C. Durley, MEd, MBA - Executive Director

Election to DANB’s nine-member Board of Directors takes place by the current DANB Board, after receipt of nominations of slates of at least two qualified candidates per DANB Board vacancy, from these four dental membership organizations: the American Dental Association (ADA) (2 directors), the American Association of Dental Boards(AADB) (1), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) (1), and the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) (3). The remaining two DANB Board Directors are represented by DANB Certificants-At-Large (1), elected by DANB Certificants, and the public (1), elected by DANB’s Board of Directors from nominations received by DANB’s Nominating Committee.

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