Washington 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.
Radiography Requirements
All dental assistants (registered dental assistants and EFDAs) operating X-ray equipment in the state of Washington shall be adequately instructed in safe operating procedures and shall be able to demonstrate competence, upon request from the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), in the correct use of the equipment.
The following are areas in which the DQAC considers it important that an individual have expertise for the competent operation of X-ray equipment:
(1) Familiarization with equipment
(a) Identification of controls
(b) Function of each control
(c) The use of a technique chart
(2) Radiation protection
(a) Collimation
(b) Filtration
(c) Gonad shielding and other patient protection devices
(d) Restriction of X-ray tube radiation to the image receptor
(e) Personnel protection
(f) Grids
(3) Film processing
(a) Film speed as relates to patient exposure
(b) Film processing parameters
(c) Quality assurance and quality control
A registered dental assistant requires close supervision and an EFDA requires general supervision by a licensed dentist to perform dental radiography procedures.
