DANB is recognized by the American Dental Association as the national credentialing agency for dental assistants, according to "The DANB Review Third Edition" made available in 2009. This review book is the only officially licensed and supported study guide available for the DANB exams and offers actual test items, resource materials and self-assessments related to the exam's three components. DANB encourages students to use this guide along with other educational textbooks and training experience to prepare for their exams. The Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exams are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Students who want to prepare for the 100-question infection control portion of the exam should revisit the areas of patient and dental health care worker education, prevention of cross-contamination/transmission, and maintenance of aseptic conditions. Students also must know how to perform sterilization techniques and understand occupational safety. The bulk of the 1.25-hour-long test covers topics such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, needle stick/sharps injury prevention, and safety measures when using a curing light or nitrous oxide.
The 120-question general chairside exam is one of the three components of the CDA exam. This portion of the exam covers basic oral and dental anatomy, identification of the permanent and primary teeth according to various numbering systems, collection of diagnostic data, lab materials and procedures, patient education, office operations, and the prevention/management of emergencies. The majority of the 1.5-hour-long test covers chairside dental procedures, which includes four-handed dentistry techniques, selection and preparation of armamentarium, and assisting with intraoral procedures such as endodontic therapy.
To prepare for the 100-question radiation health and safety exam, students should study radiation safety for patients and operators, mounting and labeling radiographs, processing radiographs, and exposing/evaluating both intraoral and extraoral radiographs. Dental assistants should pay special attention to the use of periapical, bitewing, occlusal, panoramic, and cephalometric radiographs; know how anatomical structures appear on a radiograph; and understand how to use infection control techniques to minimize cross-contamination in the operatory. They also should focus on radiographic exposure concepts such as film speed, kilovoltage, milliamperage and film density as well as intraoral radiograph exposure errors such as horizontal overlap and foreshortening. Passing this portion of the exam, which lasts 1.25 hours, is critical for a dental assistant to legally be able to take dental radiographs.
As students prepare for the dental assisting examination, they should set up a flexible study schedule at least three to four weeks before test day, focus on their weakest knowledge base and take practice tests under time constraints to prepare for the real exam, according to "Secrets of the CDA Exam" by Morrison Media. In addition, test takers need to practice eliminating the obviously wrong answer choices, guess the first remaining choice, and keep their first answer unless they are positive it is wrong.