Dental Board Orthodontic Assistant Permit
FEE: $1,195 (includes Ultrasonic Scaling Certification)
Click here for a printable enrollment/registration form.
As of January 2010 the California Dental Board requires Dental Assistants who are working in an orthodontic office and/or are performing the daily duties of the Orthodontic Assistant must hold an Orthodontic Assistant Permit.
OC Dental Specialists is a California Dental Board-approved course provider that certifies students for eligibility to take the Dental Board Orthodontic Assistant Permit Exam.
Orange County Dental Institute offers a six-week, 84-hour Dental Board-approved Orthodontic Assistant Course consisting of three parts:
- On-line and In-class lectures: Students will learn theory and clinical skills relating to orthodontic assisting. Students MUST complete on-line training and pass on-line quizzes before each day of class.
- Laboratory: Students will learn the step-by-step procedures of Orthodontic Assisting through laboratory experience.
- Clinical experience: Students will be required to practice the newly acquired skills on live patients under the direct supervision of our orthodontist in our office.
Clinical training will include:
- Placing and removing orthodontic separators.
- Sizing, fitting, and cementing orthodontic bands.
- Preparing teeth for bonding orthodontic brackets.
- Selecting and placing orthodontic bracket on teeth.
- Curing orthodontic brackets after the dentist/orthodontist positions the bracket.
- Placing archwires properly.
- Ligating archwires and placing ligature ties
- Removing orthodontic brackets, bands, and attachments.
- Removing bonding material using a scaler and/or adhesive-removing pliers under the direct supervision of licensed dentist/orthodontist.
- Removing excess cement from supra gingival surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument or ultrasonic scaler.
- Giving patient instructions and learning patient management skills.
- Understanding orthodontic charts and communicating well with the orthodontist.
OA Dental Board Written Examination Information
Effective January 1, 2010, each graduate of the Orthodontic Assisting Permit course will be required to take a California Dental Board-administered examination. Each student must pass with a grade of 75% or above in order to receive their orthodontic assistant permit.
Documents/certificates needed in order to apply for a California Dental Board-administered examination:
- CPR certification accredited by AHA or ARC.
- DA- 8-hr Infection Control Certificate, RDA- 2hr Infection Control Certificate (Copy of Certificate is required)
- 2-hr California Dental Practice Act (Copy of Certificate is required)
- OA Course Certificate
- Ultrasonic Scaling Certificate
Prerequisites:
- Must be able to communicate in English
- Must have a minimum of six (6) months experience in dental assisting in the United States and provide documentation from the dental office. This documentation must include:
- Dates of employment/experience
- Must be written on office letterhead (including office address and phone number)
- Must be signed AND dated by supervising dentist
-OR-
- Have an active RDA or RDAEF License (Copy of RDA/ RDAEF license is required)
*OC DENTAL SPECIALISTS WILL VERIFY YOUR EMPLOYMENT/EXPERIENCE*
Photocopies of the above documents must be included with the registration form. Payment and the complete registration packet must be received 48 hours before the first day of class. Incomplete prerequisites will not be accepted and students will be rescheduled for the next start date.