How to Become a Dental Assistant in South Dakota

Who can apply

• A basic dental assistant does not register with the Board. They work under the dentist's supervision and cannot do expanded functions.
• To do expanded functions you must be a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA). You must be at least 18.
• RDA proof: graduation from a CODA-accredited dental assisting program, current DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification, or a Board-approved program certificate of competency (such as Lake Area Technical College's EFDA Verification of Skills course).
• RDA applicants need a current Board-approved CPR card (healthcare provider BLS level with a hands-on skills test).
• Only a registered dental radiographer, dentist or dental hygienist may take dental x-rays. This is a separate registration, even for RDAs.

Step by step

1. Start work as a dental assistant. No Board registration is needed for basic duties.
2. To take x-rays, finish a Board-approved 16-hour radiography course or the DANB radiography exam (or hold DANB CDA).
3. Mail the Dental Radiographer application with the $45 fee and proof of training to the Board.
4. To do expanded functions, finish a CODA-accredited program, earn DANB CDA, or finish a Board-approved RDA program.
5. Get a healthcare-provider CPR (BLS) card.
6. Mail the Registered Dental Assistant application with the $45 fee, ID, CPR card and proof of education.
7. Renew each registration every year by July 1.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: No training is required for basic dental assistant duties. Radiographer registration needs one of: a 16-hour radiography course through a CODA-accredited dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting program; the DA Prep Dental Radiography course (taken after October 18, 2024); the Leslie Greager 16-hour course (taken after October 10, 2025); the DANB radiography component; or DANB CDA. Courses and the DANB component must be completed within 13 months of applying. RDA registration needs a CODA-accredited dental assisting program, DANB CDA, or a Board-approved program certificate of competency. CODA/approved-program graduates must apply within five years of finishing or show they legally did expanded functions in the last five years.

Exam: South Dakota has no state exam for dental assistants. Passing the DANB radiography component is one way to qualify for radiographer registration. DANB CDA certification is one way to qualify as an RDA.

What it costs in South Dakota

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

Keeping your credential

Renewal: RDA and radiographer registrations renew every year by July 1 for $35 each. RDAs need 60 hours of Board-approved CE every five-year cycle and must keep a current CPR card; an RDA who is also certified in dental radiography must include at least 5 hours of dental radiography CE in each five-year cycle. Radiographers need 5 hours of dental radiography CE every five-year cycle.

Good to know in South Dakota

What a non-registered assistant cannot do: A dental assistant who is not an RDA may not place sealants, place nonsurgical retraction materials, fabricate provisional restorations, use electronic caries detection, adjust dentures or partials, or use rotary or ultrasonic instruments in the mouth (ARSD 20:43:08:02.01).

Duties without the dentist present: If the dentist has authorized it in advance, a dental assistant may do some duties when the dentist is out of the clinic, such as impressions, photos, vital signs and some orthodontic tasks (ARSD 20:43:08:02).

Sedation and nitrous permits: Monitoring patients under general anesthesia, deep or moderate sedation needs a separate Board permit. Only an RDA with a nitrous oxide permit may administer nitrous oxide.

Military families: Active-duty service members and spouses transferred to South Dakota who hold a registration in good standing in another state can contact the Board for a military application.

Older radiography course from another state: If your approved 16-hour radiography course is more than 13 months old, you can still register as a radiographer by sending a dentist's verification of your clinical proficiency and proof that you practice or have practiced radiography legally in another state, plus a verification letter from each state where you were registered.

Sources

• SD Board of Dentistry - Registered Dental Assistant applications
• SD Board of Dentistry - RDA application (8/2025)
• SD Board of Dentistry - Dental Radiographer application (10/2025)
• SD Board of Dentistry - Dental Assistant or RDA infographic
• SD Board of Dentistry - Continuing education overview
• ARSD 20:43:08:03 - Registered dental assistant requirements
• ARSD 20:43:08:09 - Registered dental assistant renewal
• ARSD 20:43:07:09 - Dental radiographer renewal fee
• ARSD 20:43:07:12 - Permitted use of radiation
• ARSD 20:43:08:02 - Dental assistant duties