Dental Assistant Requirements in Texas

By: Natalie Kaweckyj, LDA, RF, CDA, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, CPFDA, CRFDA, MADAA, BA

Are you looking to become a dental assistant or are moving as a current dental assistant? Make sure to check the dental assistant requirements in Texas to see if you are still qualified in the state to practice.

Each state has different requirements for dental assistants, here are the levels, and functions permitted for dental assistants in Texas.

Levels of Dental Assistants in Texas

There are three levels of dental assistants in Texas:

  1. Dental Assistant
  2. Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
  3. Dental Assistant Qualified to Perform Expanded Functions

1. Dental Assistant

A dental assistant in the state of Texas may perform basic supportive dental procedures specified by the state dental practice act under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

There are no education or training requirements for this level of dental assisting.

2. Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)

A dental assistant in the state of Texas can earn status as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) by formally registering with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE).

To qualify, one must:

  • Graduate from an accredited high school or hold a GED, AND
  • Successfully complete a current hands-on course in basic life support, AND
  • Successfully complete a mandatory course of training specified by the TSBDE that includes procedures for positioning and exposing dental x-rays, jurisprudence, and infection control, OR
  • Earn the national DANB CDA certification and complete the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment, AND
  • Apply to the TSBDE for registration AND
  • Submit fingerprints for the retrieval of criminal record information.

To qualify to monitor the administration of nitrous oxide, an RDA must:

  • Complete a minimum of 8 hours of didactic education and testing in monitoring the administration of nitrous oxide taken through a CODA-accredited dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting program approved by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) AND
  • Complete a current course in Basic Life Support, AND
  • Apply to the TSBDE for a nitrous oxide monitoring certificate.

3. Dental Assistant Qualified to Perform Expanded Functions

To perform expanded functions under the general or direct supervision of a licensed dentist in Texas, a dental assistant must successfully complete the following requirements:

Perform pit and fissure sealant procedures:

  • Work at least two years as a dental assistant, AND
  • Complete a current course in basic life support, AND
  • Complete a minimum of eight hours of Texas Board-approved clinical and didactic education in pit and fissure sealants taken through a CODA-accredited dental, dental hygiene, or dental assistant program and approved by the TSBDE.

Perform coronal polishing procedures:

  • Work at least two years as a dental assistant, AND
  • Complete a minimum of eight hours of clinical and didactic education in coronal polishing taken through a dental school, dental hygiene school, or dental assisting program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and approved by the TSBDE, OR
  • Earn the national DANB Coronal Polishing (CP) certificate of knowledge-based competenceOR
  • Graduate from a CODA-accredited dental assisting program approved by the TSBDE that includes clinical and didactic education in coronal polishing.

Note: Effective September 1, 2017, the pit and fissure sealants certificate and coronal polishing certificate are discontinued. Effective March 18, 2018, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners has passed the above requirements for dental assistants to be eligible to perform these functions.

Texas Radiography Requirements

To legally operate dental X-ray equipment and perform dental radiographic procedures in Texas, a dental assistant must meet the requirements shown below:

  • One must be a Registered Dental Assistant.
  • A dental assistant will not be considered to be positioning, exposing or otherwise making dental x-rays if the dental assistant only performs radiological procedures in the course of training (or for other educational purposes) and is at all times under the direct supervision of the employer dentist. A dental assistant performing radiological procedures in the course of on-the-job training may only do so for a period of one year.
Natalie Kaweckyj

Natalie Kaweckyj

Natalie Kaweckyj, BA, LDA, CDA, RF, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, CPFDA, CRFDA, MADAA, is a senior moderator of the Dental Peeps Network and a past president of the ADAA.