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Check Eligibility

Applicants must meet one of the following routes to be eligible to apply for an RDA certification exam.


Want help choosing the application route that’s right for you?


The RDA credential is not a substitute for compliance with any licensing or regulatory requirements that an individual state may impose.

The acronym “RDA” or designation of “Registered Dental Assistant” issued by AMTr is a national certification, and should not be confused with similar terminology that may be employed in some states (where it is a state license). Applicants should always check with regulators in their states regarding the requirements for practicing as a dental assistant in those states.

Apply

Once you are eligible, you can apply!


Application Fee*

RDA
$150

  • Submit a separate application for each certification.
  • *Fees are non-refundable and include application, exam and first annual fee.

Prepare

Utilize AMTr study resources to increase testing confidence.


Dental Assistant (RDA)

Take the Exam

Once you receive notice from AMTr with approval, you may proceed.


  • If you are taking the exam at school, your instructor will provide the exam date and time.
  • If you are taking the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center location, you will schedule your own exam.

RDA Eligibility Routes

Education Route â–¼

Applicant shall be a graduate of, or scheduled to graduate from, an accredited dental assisting program*.

Applicants must be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

All training programs must have been structured to include at least the following content areas:

  • Office Assisting Skills
  • Dental Sciences
  • Clinical Procedures
  • Dental Radiography

*Program or institution must be accredited by a regional or national accreditation agency approved by the US Department of Education (DOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or otherwise approved by AMTr.

Military Route â–¼

Applicant shall have completed a military Dental Assisting training program AND shall have completed a minimum of one year of work experience in the Dental Assisting profession.

Applicants must be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

All training programs must have been structured to include at least the following content areas:

  • Office Assisting Skills
  • Dental Sciences
  • Clinical Procedures
  • Dental Radiography

Work Experience Route â–¼

Applicant shall have been employed as a Dental Assistant for a minimum of 3 years (5,250 hours).

  • Work requirement is assumed to be full-time (40 hours per week) (May be a combination of part time settings).

Instructor Route â–¼

Applicant shall be currently instructing in an accredited Dental Assisting Program* AND shall have completed a course of instruction in a healthcare discipline related to Dental Assisting AND shall have a minimum of 3 years of full-time teaching experience (or equivalent part-time experience equal to 3 years full-time) in a Dental Assisting discipline that includes:

  • Office Assisting Skills
  • Dental Sciences
  • Preclinical Procedures
  • Infection Control
  • Dental Radiography/Imaging

An applicant who has less than 3 years of full-time teaching experience (or equivalent), but more than one year, shall have a minimum of 2 years of full-time (40 hours per week, part-time combination allowed) Dental Assisting experience within the past 5 years, in a healthcare profession in which the scope of practice is commensurate with, or exceeds, the Dental Assisting scope of practice that includes:

  • Office Assisting Skills
  • Dental Sciences
  • Preclinical Procedures
  • Infection Control
  • Dental Radiography/Imaging

*Program or institution must be accredited by a regional or national accreditation agency approved by the US Department of Education (DOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or otherwise approved by the AMTr Board of Directors.

Certification is a Step Away

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