: ▁▁ ▁Cor onal ▁pol ishing ▁ ▁Se al ant ▁application ▁ ▁Fl u or ide ▁application ▁ ▁Top ical ▁an est h etic ▁application ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁lic ens ing ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁U . S . ▁states , ▁dent al ▁assist ants ▁can ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁without ▁a ▁college ▁degree , ▁while ▁in ▁other ▁states , ▁dent al ▁assist ants ▁must ▁be ▁lic ensed ▁or ▁registered . ▁ ▁D ental ▁assist ants ▁can ▁receive ▁formal ▁education ▁through ▁academic ▁programs ▁at ▁community ▁colleg es , ▁voc ational ▁schools , ▁career ▁colleg es , ▁technical ▁instit utes , ▁univers ities ▁and ▁dent al ▁schools ▁with ▁most ▁programs ▁need ing ▁only ▁ 8 ▁to ▁ 1 1 ▁months ▁to ▁complete . ▁ ▁The ▁Commission ▁on ▁D ental ▁Acc red itation ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁D ental ▁Association ▁acc red its ▁dent al ▁assist ing ▁school ▁programs , ▁of ▁which ▁there ▁are ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁To ▁become ▁a ▁Cert ified ▁D ental ▁Ass istant , ▁or ▁CD A , ▁dent al ▁assist ants ▁must ▁take ▁the ▁D AN B ▁( D ental ▁Ass isting ▁National ▁Board ) ▁CD A ▁exam ination ▁after ▁they ▁have ▁completed ▁an ▁acc red ited ▁dent al ▁assist ing ▁program , ▁while ▁those ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁trained ▁on ▁the ▁job ▁or ▁have ▁graduated ▁from ▁non - ac cred ited ▁programs ▁are ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁national ▁cert ification ▁exam ination ▁after ▁they ▁have ▁completed ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁full - time ▁work