Dental Assisting Education
To be a dental assistant, you must complete dental assisting education. Then, you must meet other requirements to be eligible to apply for registration.
Dental Assisting Programs in Alberta
| Approved Programs Graduates must pass the NDAEB written examination to be eligible for registration. |
|---|
| CDI College Calgary North campus, CDAC*-accredited since 2016 Edmonton City Centre campus, CDAC*-accredited since June 2017 |
| Columbia College CDAC*-accredited since November 2005 |
| KDM Dental College International Inc CDAC*-accredited since December 2008 |
| NAIT CDAC*-accredited since 1973 |
| Risio Institute for Digital Dental Education CDAC*-accredited since November 2022 |
| SAIT CDAC*-accredited since 1973 |
| Provisionally-Approved Programs Graduates must pass the NDAEB written examination and Clinical Practice Evaluation to be eligible for registration. |
|---|
| Reeves College |
Other Dental Assistant Education
| Clinical Refresher |
|---|
| Columbia College |
| NAIT |
| Entry Practice (Intra-Oral) Continuing Education** that may lead to authorization of practices |
|---|
| Columbia College |
| NAIT |
Approved Advanced Practice Courses
| Orthodontic |
|---|
| Columbia College Continuing Education Orthodontic Module |
| NAIT Dental Assisting Technology Program |
| University of Alberta Continuing Dental Education Orthodontic Module |
| Preventive |
|---|
| NAIT Dental Assisting Technology Program |
| SAIT Polytechnic Continuing Education Preventive Dentistry Module |
| Prosthodontic |
|---|
| CDI College Dental Assisting Program, Calgary North campus |
| CDI College Dental Assisting Program, Edmonton City Centre campus |
| Columbia College Dental Assistant Professional Program |
| KDM Dental College International Inc. Dental Assisting Program, Calgary campus |
| KDM Dental College International Inc. Dental Assisting Program, Edmonton campus |
| NAIT Dental Assisting Technology Program |
| SAIT Dental Assisting Program |
*Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada
**Schools offering continuing education may offer some or all of the available Entry Practices. Advanced Practice courses are listed separately.
Contact the schools regarding availability, scheduling, enrollment, fees, etc.
Program Approval and Accreditation
We must Approve or Provisionally Approve all dental assisting programs. The programs must also be licensed/ approved by Alberta Advanced Education (see note below). To maintain their approval status, the programs must meet certain criteria, on an ongoing basis. Accreditation is an important part of our Program Approval process.
Accreditation is a non-governmental, peer-review process. It measures education programs against national requirements. It is carried out by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC).
You can review our Program Approval Policies for details.
Note: Advanced Education is not accepting new applications for program licensing until mid-2023. Learn more here.
Find a Dental Assistant
Use our Registry to check the status of a dental assistant’s Practice Permit.
Complaints & Concerns
If you have concerns about a dental assistant’s service or conduct, we are here to help.