Patient Safety
Patient safety is at the core of the College’s work. We protect patients by regulating dental assistants in Alberta. Regulation sets clear expectations for who can practise and how care is provided to ensure you receive safe, ethical, and competent dental assisting care.
How regulation protects you
In Alberta, health professions are regulated to protect the public. Dental assisting is a regulated health profession, and we’re the regulatory college responsible for dental assistants.
Under the Health Professions Act (HPA), we set requirements for education, registration, and practice, and we hold dental assistants accountable to professional standards.
Regulation helps protect patients like you in several important ways.
Ongoing learning and competence
Alberta’s dental assistants must maintain their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. We monitor ongoing learning and competence to help ensure dental assistants provide safe care and keep pace with evolving standards and best practices.
Professional standards and ethics
Dental assistants must follow:
- a Code of Ethics, which sets expectations for ethical conduct and professionalism
- Standards of Practice, which outline how dental assistants are expected to practise safely
These requirements support consistent, patient-centred care.
What dental assistants do
Dental assistants are key members of your oral health care team. They work alongside dentists, dental hygienists, and denturists to support your care.
Using their education and training, dental assistants provide preventive and supportive oral health care services and help ensure you are comfortable and receive efficient care.
Dental assistants typically:
- prepare patients and treatment areas
- collect health histories and vital signs
- assist during procedures by maintaining a clear line of sight for the operator, transferring instruments, and operating the air/water syringe and suction units
- support infection prevention and control
- provide intraoral patient care, when authorized and directed
They also give pre- and post-operative instructions, and support oral health promotion and education.
Dental assistants must be registered
Only dental assistants who are registered and authorized by the College are allowed to practise in Alberta. Registration confirms that a dental assistant has met education and competency requirements and is accountable to professional standards.
Search our dental assistant registry to confirm whether a dental assistant is registered and authorized to practise in Alberta.
