How to Become a Dental Assistant in Florida

Who can apply

• The Board of Dentistry does not license dental assistants. Which tasks you may do depends on your training (on-the-job or formal) and the dentist's level of supervision (Rule 64B5-16.005).
• To take x-rays you must either be certified by the Department as a dental radiographer or have graduated from a Board-approved dental assisting school or program (Rule 64B5-9.011).
• Expanded duties such as coronal polishing, sealants and monitoring nitrous oxide need formal training: an expanded duty course at a CODA-accredited (or other nationally accredited) school, or a Board-approved course.

Step by step

1. Get hired by a licensed Florida dentist. Tasks such as retracting the cheek, placing cotton rolls and taking vital signs need only on-the-job training.
2. To take x-rays without graduating from a Board-approved dental assisting program, complete at least 3 months of continuous on-the-job x-ray training under a Florida dentist's direct supervision.
3. Within 12 months after that training, complete a Board-approved dental radiography course.
4. Apply for the Dental Radiographer certification (form DH-MQA 1202) through the MQA Services Portal, pay the $35 nonrefundable fee, and get electronic (Livescan) fingerprints using the Board's ORI form.
5. Display your radiographer certificate in every dental office where you take x-rays.
6. For expanded duties (coronal polishing, sealants, nitrous monitoring, temporary crowns and others), complete a CODA-accredited or Board-approved expanded duty course for each duty.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: No program is required to start. X-ray certification needs 3 months of continuous on-the-job training plus a Board-approved radiography course covering radiography practice and equipment, radiation biology and safety, hands-on sensor and film positioning on mannequins, radiographic anatomy, processing, intraoral and supplemental techniques, and infection control. Expanded duty courses must be developed at a CODA-accredited (or other nationally accredited) dental, hygiene or assisting school, or be Board-approved; Board-approved courses must include sterilization and disinfection and the Dental Practice Act. The Board posts a list of approved expanded duty and radiography programs.

Exam: No state exam. Board-approved expanded duty courses must include a clinical or written exam testing competency in each subject.

What it costs in Florida

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

How long it takes

The Board says an initial application must be reviewed within 30 days, and the radiographer certification card should arrive 10-14 days after the certification is issued.

Good to know in Florida

Supervision levels: Direct supervision: the dentist diagnoses, authorizes the procedure, stays on the premises, and approves the work before the patient leaves. Indirect: the dentist authorizes and is on the premises. General: the dentist authorizes but need not be present (s. 466.003, F.S.).

Formally trained tasks under indirect supervision: With formal training and the dentist on the premises, you may take x-rays, apply sealants, apply topical fluoride and varnish, place and remove rubber dams and matrices, apply cavity liners and bases, place or remove periodontal dressings, make impressions for study casts and stents, place orthodontic separators, tie in or remove archwires, and remove sutures.

Formally trained tasks under direct supervision: With formal training and direct supervision, you may polish clinical crowns (coronal polishing) and restorations with slow-speed handpieces and rubber cups, monitor nitrous oxide and make adjustments during it, cement temporary crowns and bridges, fabricate temporary crowns intraorally, pack retraction cord without vasoactive chemicals, and pre-size orthodontic bands and archwires.

New in 2026: A rule amendment effective April 26, 2026 lets an assistant with on-the-job training, under direct supervision, polish clinical crowns with rotary instruments if a hygienist is in the office, remove implant hybrid dentures, remove healing abutments and place scan bodies for digital scanning, and place barrier material over implant access screws.

Processing: The Board says Florida law requires an initial application to be reviewed within 30 days, and the radiographer certification card arrives 10-14 days after it is issued. Applications cannot be approved until fingerprint results are received.

Disqualifying offenses: Under s. 456.0635, F.S., the Department must refuse a certificate for certain felony convictions (Medicaid fraud, fraudulent practices, drug offenses) until set periods have passed, and for current listing on the federal OIG exclusion list.

More changes in rulemaking: The Board is amending Rule 64B5-16.005 again. A September 2026 proposed rule changes the supervision level for assistants polishing crowns, and a September 2026 development notice would let assistants use lasers in limited cases. The task lists above may change; check the current rule.

Sources

• Florida Board of Dentistry - Dental Radiographer
• Florida Board of Dentistry - Expanded Duties Programs
• Rule 64B5-16.005, F.A.C. - Remediable Tasks Delegable to Dental Assistants (amended 4-26-26)
• Rule 64B5-9.011, F.A.C. - Radiography Training for Dental Assistants
• Section 466.003, F.S. - Definitions (supervision levels)