DENTAL ASSISTING THROUGH HOME STUDY

Dental offices may hire an untrained individual as a chairside assistant; these staff members may be referred to as a "dental aide". An untrained person or dental aide of this circumstance may only suction and retract. The dental aide may not expose, process or mount radiographs or provide any additional intra oral services beyond suctioning and retraction.

While employed in a dental office, the dental aide may wish to attain the status of "dental assistant". VCC Dental Assisting Distance Education Program is the only recognized "independent study" program in Canada today . Once the basic course is completed, the dental aide must take intra oral training. Once the intra oral training is underway the aide may qualify for a temporary licence with the SDAA while completing training. Once the "core" intra oral training is completed the candidate must write the National Board Examination offered by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board. Once the NDAEB certificate is acquired the aide may be registered and licenced as a dental assistant in Saskatchewan.