Expanded Functions Course Manual

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Expanded Functions for New Jersey

Course Description | Prerequisites | Typical Course Sequence | Applying to Become an RDA

Course Description

The Expanded Functions home study course is designed to prepare you for the Dental Assisting National Board’s (DANB’s) exam on expanded functions. All of the expanded functions that can be performed by a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) will be covered in this course. Some of the subjects that will be covered include rubber dams, retraction cords, construction of temporary crowns, cementation and cement removal, periodontal dressing, matrix placement, pit and fissure sealants, and topical fluoride. All students will receive a thorough manual of the course (more than 500 pages). No additional textbook purchase is required. Upon completion of this course, students who already hold a CDA certificate will be eligible to receive 20 continuing dental education credits. Students who already hold an RDA license may also take this course in order to obtain 20 continuing dental education credits that they may use towards both their CDA certification and their RDA license renewal.

Prerequisites

• The NJ State Board of Dentistry requires that you obtain a CDA certificate prior to obtaining an RDA license.
• The NJ State Board of Dentistry also requires two years of work experience within five years of obtaining an RDA license.
• The two year requirement for RDA is concurrent with the two years requirement for CDA. You don’t need to take four years, just two for both.

Dental Assistant Services does NOT require that you obtain two years of work experience prior to taking this course, nor do you need to have obtained your CDA certification prior to taking this course. Students may take this course while they are working towards their two years of work experience and/or CDA certificate. Some students may find that the timing works out such that they choose to take the expanded functions course prior to completing their two years of work experience or obtaining a CDA certification. In short… you may take the expanded functions course at any time, however until you meet the two prerequisites indicated above as required by the NJ State Board of Dentistry you will not be able to obtain an RDA license. 

Typical Course Sequence

This chart displays the usual order that students will take our courses and the order in which they obtain their credentials. For a more detailed overview, please click here.

Credential/License:	Courses:	Exams:
N/A	1. Introductory Dental Assisting	None
Dental X-Ray License (LDRT)	2. Dental Radiology	Radiation Health & Safety (RHS)
Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) Certificate	3. Review of Radiation Health & Safety* 4. Infection Control 5. General Chairside	Radiation Health & Safety (RHS) Infection Control General Chairside
Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)	6. Expanded Functions	Expanded Functions

* If you obtained your dental x-ray license in NJ you will most likely not have to take the Review of Radiation Health& Safety course in order to obtain a CDA certificate.

Applying to Become an RDA

In order to obtain your license as an RDA you will need to meet the following requirements:

1. You must already hold a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certificate.
2. You must have two years of experience working as a dental assistant within the past five years.
3. You must apply to take and pass DANB’s exam on expanded functions (formally called the NJ Expanded Duties – General Exam or NJXDG exam).
4. Upon completion of these requirements you may submit an application to the NJ State Board of Dentistry. As part of the application for your RDA license, you’ll also need to complete the following:
   1. A form authorizing a criminal background check be performed.
   2. A brief jurisprudence exam indicating that you are aware of what functions can and cannot be performed by dental assistants at various levels of credentialing. Details in the manual.

Once you finish the Expanded Functions course you should apply to take the expanded functions exam. Applications and instructions will be provided in the manual. After passing the examination you may submit the “Application for Dental Assistant License” to the NJ State Board of Dentistry. It is important to note that while it is DANB’s exam that you’ll take, it is the NJ State Board of Dentistry that awards you the actual RDA license. The process of obtaining an RDA license can be confusing as there are several components, several options, and multiple applications. At Dental Assistant Services we try to simplify the process as much as possible. We’ve been through the process numerous times and have provided detailed information to offer you the benefit of our experience. We want you to understand and pass. We understand how confusing it can be, and will actually take the time to explain it as thoroughly as possible in a step by step description of what you will experience.