How to Become a Dental Assistant in Arizona

Checked against Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (certificates administered by DANB under agreement with the Board) · Verified 2026-10-16

Exam: Required
Training: Not required
Term: See state office
State fee: No Board fee for basic assisting. DANB charges a $50 nonrefundable fee for the Arizona Coronal Polishing certificate (2026 packet), on top of its exam fees.
Regulated by: Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (certificates administered by DANB under agreement with the Board)

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Who can apply

Arizona does not license basic dental assistants. You work under a licensed dentist (or, for some tasks, an affiliated practice dental hygienist).
To take x-rays you must pass a Board-approved exam (A.R.S. 32-1291(A)). The Board uses DANB's Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam.
To polish teeth you must hold the Arizona Coronal Polishing (AZCP) certificate (A.R.S. 32-1291(B)).
To place and finish fillings or cement prefabricated crowns you must qualify as an Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA) under A.R.S. 32-1291.01.
To scale teeth (remove plaque, calculus and stains) you must qualify as an Oral Preventive Assistant under A.R.S. 32-1291.02: hold current CPR, Board-approved coronal polishing and radiography certification, and a national dental assisting certification or an accredited dental assisting program, then complete a Board-approved OPA course of at least 120 hours at a college with a CODA-accredited dental or dental hygiene program.

Step by step

Get hired by a licensed Arizona dentist. Basic chairside duties need no state credential.
Pass DANB's Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam before you expose any x-rays.
For coronal polishing, apply online to DANB for its Coronal Polishing (CP) exam and pass it.
Have a dentist, licensed hygienist or AZCP-certified course instructor sign the Arizona Coronal Polishing Clinical Skills Affidavit, then send it to DANB with the AZCP certificate application and the $50 fee.
For expanded functions, hold the AZCP certificate and pass RHS (or hold the Arizona Radiologic Proficiency certificate), complete a Board-approved EFDA training program, and pass DANB's AMP, Temporaries (TMP) and Restorative Functions (RF) exams. Then place, contour and finish 20 direct restorations under a licensed dentist, document them on the Licensed Dentist Endorsement form, and apply to DANB for the Arizona EFDA-Restorative (AZEFDA-RF) certificate. Or qualify with an out-of-state restorative expanded-functions credential held within the last 10 years.
If you hold x-ray certification from another state that required a written exam, you can apply to the Board for radiography certification by credential instead.

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Training and exam

Training: No training program is required for basic assisting, x-rays or coronal polishing; those need Board-approved exams. The EFDA route requires a Board-approved expanded function training program at a CODA-accredited institution, unless you qualify by credential (an EFDA restorative license or certificate from another state held within the last 10 years, plus proof of clinical experience).

Exam: Taking x-rays: pass DANB's Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam (Board-approved under A.R.S. 32-1291(A)). Coronal polishing: pass DANB's Coronal Polishing (CP) exam (80 questions, 60 minutes) and submit a Clinical Skills Affidavit. EFDA: pass DANB's Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP), Temporaries (TMP) and Restorative Functions (RF) exams (210 questions in 160 minutes in total); DANB requires current hands-on CPR, BLS or ACLS to sit for the RF exam. The Board reported 999 of 1,793 RHS takers passed in fiscal year 2024.

Practice for the dental assistant exam free — radiation safety, infection control, chairside skills and dental materials →

What it costs in Arizona

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Arizona Coronal Polishing certificate fee (paid to DANB)(optional)$50
DANB RHS exam fee(optional)$
DANB CP exam fee(optional)$
EFDA program tuition and DANB EFDA exam fees(optional)$

Estimated total in Arizona$0

Cost details from the state

DANB exam fees for RHS, CP and the EFDA exams, paid to DANB.
EFDA program tuition at a CODA-accredited school.
CPR/BLS course (required by DANB for the EFDA exams).

Good to know in Arizona

Supervision levels: With an x-ray or polishing credential, you may expose x-rays and polish teeth under a dentist's general supervision (the dentist need not be in the office) or under the direct supervision of an affiliated practice dental hygienist. Tasks such as placing sealants, applying fluoride, placing and removing dental dams, removing sutures and making temporary restorations need the dentist's direct supervision, meaning the dentist is in the office (R4-11-701).

What assistants may not do: Under R4-11-702, dental assistants may not carve restorations in the mouth, take final jaw registrations, take final non-digital impressions for prostheses or activating orthodontic appliances, activate orthodontic appliances, or do any irreversible procedure.

Coronal polishing is not a cleaning: Arizona defines polishing as removing plaque and surface stain with a rubber cup or brush. A dental assistant may not present polishing alone as a prophylaxis (cleaning).

What an EFDA may do: An EFDA may place, contour and finish direct restorations and place and cement prefabricated crowns after the dentist prepares the tooth. An EFDA may also apply sealants and fluoride varnish under general supervision and place interim therapeutic restorations under general supervision after a teledentistry consultation.

Nitrous oxide: A dental assistant may prepare a patient for nitrous oxide and observe the patient during it, under the dentist's direct instruction and presence. Assistants do not administer it.

Radiography by credential: If another U.S. state certified you in radiography after a written exam, you can apply to the Board for Arizona radiography certification by credential. The Board aims to decide within 114 calendar days of receiving the application (R4-11-304).

Oral Preventive Assistant (new 2025): A 2025 law (SB 1124, A.R.S. 32-1291.02) lets a qualified dental assistant become an Oral Preventive Assistant after a Board-approved course of at least 120 hours. An OPA may remove plaque, calculus and stains with scalers or ultrasonic devices, only on periodontally healthy patients or those with localized mild gingivitis, under the direct supervision of a dentist (up to three OPAs) or hygienist (one OPA). The OPA must tell each patient the care was not given by a licensed dental provider.

Getting the EFDA certificate: The Arizona EFDA credential is the AZEFDA-RF certificate, issued through DANB. You need the AZCP certificate, DANB RHS (or the Arizona Radiologic Proficiency certificate), the AMP, TMP and RF exams and a Board-approved EFDA program. Then place, contour and finish 20 direct restorations under a dentist, document them on a Licensed Dentist Endorsement form and apply to DANB. Registered dental hygienists skip the RHS, CP and AMP exams and the AZCP certificate.

Oral preventive assistant: A.R.S. 32-1291.02 lets a dental assistant become an oral preventive assistant who removes plaque, calculus and stain with scalers on periodontally healthy patients. Before the 120-hour Board-approved course (at a CODA-accredited dental or hygiene school) you need current CPR, Board-approved coronal polishing and radiography certification, and national dental assisting certification or an accredited dental assisting program. Work is under a dentist's or hygienist's direct supervision.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (certificates administered by DANB under agreement with the Board) before you apply.