Ohio Dental Assistant Requirements

Each state has different requirements for dental assistants. This page includes links to all the information you need to understand the requirements for dental assistants in this state. View the different dental assisting levels, along with the requirements for each. You can also view the allowable duties at each level.

Ohio Requirements

Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary Requirements

To perform expanded functions under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist in Ohio, a dental assistant must qualify as an Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA). To qualify as an EFDA, one must:

1a. Be an unlicensed dentist who has graduated from an accredited dental college and does not have a dental license under suspension or revocation by the OSDB, OR

1b. Be a dental student who is enrolled in an accredited dental college and is in good standing as a dental student, OR

1c. Be a graduate of an unaccredited dental college located outside the United States, OR

1d. Be a Certified Assistant (see definition and requirements), OR

1e. Be a dental hygienist licensed by the OSBD in good standing, OR

1f. Be a dental hygienist who has graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program and does not have a dental hygiene license under suspension or revocation by the OSBD, AND 

2. Complete an Ohio Board-approved EFDA training course that is accredited by either the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or the Higher Learning Commission (course may require proof of DANB CDA certification for entry), AND 

3. Pass the EFDA exam administered by the Commission on Dental Testing in Ohio (CODT) or the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), AND

4. Complete a basic life support (BLS) training course certified by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or American Safety and Health Institute, AND 

5. Apply to the Ohio State Dental Board for registration as an EFDA.

The board may issue a certificate to an applicant if the applicant holds a license or certificate in another state or if the applicant has satisfactory work experience, a government certification, or a private certification as an expanded function dental auxiliary in a state that does not issue that license or certificate.

Note: An EFDA may not perform coronal polishing unless he or she has met the requirements described above Certified Assistants and received a state certificate in coronal polishing from the Ohio State Board of Dentistry.

An EFDA may apply pit and fissure sealants prior to a dentist examining the patient and rendering a diagnosis, if all of the conditions below have been met. 

Note: All dental health care workers in Ohio must show evidence of immunity to or immunization against the hepatitis B virus, unless a waiver has been granted.