How to Become a Dental Assistant in Nova Scotia

The short answer

To work as a dental assistant in Nova Scotia you must be registered and licensed by the Nova Scotia Regulator of Dentistry and Dental Assisting (NSRDDA). Only a person who is registered and holds a current licence may practise dental assisting in the province. The route, in order, is: graduate from an approved dental assisting program, pass the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) written exam, gather your documents and complete Basic Life Support (BLS) training, and apply online through the NSRDDA portal. If you have not yet received your NDAEB certificate, you can start on a conditional licence and you have one year to complete the exam.

The regulator's name changed on May 1, 2025: the Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia was continued as a regulatory body under the name Nova Scotia Regulator of Dentistry and Dental Assisting under the Dentistry and Dental Assisting Regulations. The Nova Scotia Dental Assistants Association is a professional association, not the regulator: it does not issue licences.

Step 1 — Graduate from an approved dental assisting program

Complete an approved dental assisting program. The Nova Scotia Dental Association careers fact sheet lists the accredited schools in Nova Scotia as Nova Scotia Community College and CBBC Career College, with a program length of one year. Under the regulations, registration requires graduation from an education program approved for registration in the practising register, or a program the registration and licensing decision maker considers equivalent.

Step 2 — Pass the NDAEB written exam

Pass the NDAEB written exam and hold the NDAEB certificate. The NSRDDA lists a copy of your NDAEB certificate among the documents for registration and licensing, and the NDAEB states its certificate is required for new dental assisting graduates seeking registration in Nova Scotia. Graduates of non-accredited programs must also complete the NDAEB Clinical Practice Evaluation.

If you have not yet received your NDAEB certificate, you can still apply: you will be issued a conditional licence and you will have one year from your date of licensing to successfully complete the NDAEB exam and submit a copy of your certificate. Dental assistants with a conditional licence are permitted to perform all the duties in the scope of practice for dental assistants. If you do not submit the certificate within one year, your name will be struck from the Dental Assistants Register and your employer will be notified.

Step 3 — Gather your documents and complete BLS training

Before you apply, gather the documents the NSRDDA requires you to upload in the online application:

• A passport-style photo taken within the previous 12 months.
• A certified copy of your Canadian birth certificate, Canadian citizenship card, or proof of permanent Canadian residency status.
• Verification of professional liability insurance (PLI) as set out in the Standard of Practice for Dental Assisting.
• A Vulnerable Sector Search and a Criminal Record Check, performed within the previous 12 months.
• Two written character references from non-family members who have known you for the past four years. Each reference must be signed, dated, state how long the person has known you, and have been written within the past 12 months.
• Verification of your certification in BLS, obtained within the past 12 months, from an in-person hands-on course from a recognized provider.
• A copy of your NDAEB certificate, or a conditional licence application if you do not yet hold it.

If you are currently licensed in another jurisdiction, or have ever been licensed in another jurisdiction, you must also request a certificate of standing sent directly to the NSRDDA from each of those jurisdictions.

Step 4 — Apply online and pay the application fee

Applications for registration and licensing are submitted through an online form on the NSRDDA site. Your first step is to create a profile in the regulator system: follow the application link to the login window, click Sign up, and create your profile. Once your profile is created, log in and click Apply to begin your application, uploading your supporting documents as you go. You can save the application and return to it later if you are missing documents.

When you submit your application, you are sent an email asking you to pay a non-refundable application fee of $65 through the online portal, after which your application is reviewed. Once your completed application has been received, the regulator arranges a licensing meeting and issues your licence within five business days, unless the Registrar needs to investigate further or obtain additional information. If you encounter technical difficulties, email reception@nsrdda.ca.

Step 5 — Receive your licence and keep it current

Once your application is approved, you pay the annual licence fee of $324 for the May 1 to April 30 licensing year. The licence fee is reduced to $162 if you are licensed after October 31. Successful applicants who meet all of the licensing requirements are entered into the Dental Assistants Register and issued a licence. You cannot begin to practise without a licence.

The regulator office is at 210 Waterfront Drive, Suite 103, Bedford, Nova Scotia, B4A 0H3. The toll-free number is 1-866-326-1046 and the local number is (902) 420-0083.

What the NDAEB exam costs, and when to write it

The NDAEB Theory Exam costs $730 in total: a $100 non-refundable application fee plus a $630 examination fee. A rewrite costs the same $730 ($100 rewrite application fee plus $630 rewrite examination fee). Graduates of non-accredited programs pay a different route: the Clinical Practice Evaluation costs $1,685 plus a $100 application fee. A practice examination costs $75, withdrawing from the Theory Exam costs $210 if you withdraw 15 or more days before the exam date, and a remedial (fourth) Theory Exam attempt costs $50.

The 2027 Theory Exam sittings are March 23–25 (apply by February 1), June 23–25 (apply by May 3), September 22–24 (apply by July 30), and December 8–10 (apply by October 18). Registration for the 2027 sittings opens January 4, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and each application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

What the opened pages do not state

The NSRDDA application page states an initial registration fee of 66 dollars while its own requirement checklist states 65 dollars, so this guide prints no initial registration fee; confirm the current figure with the regulator before you pay. The Nova Scotia Dental Association careers fact sheet still names the Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia as the licensing body, which was the regulator name before May 1, 2025, so this guide uses that fact sheet only for the schools and program length, and uses the regulations for the current regulator name. The opened pages publish no program tuition, so this guide gives none. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the regulator's decision when it assesses your application.

Related guides:

• How to Become a Dental Assistant in Manitoba — the Manitoba route, through the Manitoba Dental Association and the NDAEB exam, with provisional registration for recent graduates.
• How to Become a Dental Assistant in Alberta — the Alberta route, also through an accredited program and the NDAEB exam but under a different regulator.
• How to Become a Dental Assistant in British Columbia — the British Columbia route, through the BC College of Oral Health Professionals and the NDAEB exam.
• How to Become a Dental Assistant in Ontario — the Ontario route, where registration is not required but the NDAEB certificate is needed for intra-oral duties.
• How to Become a Dental Hygienist in Canada — the dental hygienist route, a separate regulated oral health profession with its own regulator in each province.

Sources

• Nova Scotia Regulator of Dentistry and Dental Assisting, Already or Previously Licensed in Another Province — Dental Assisting — the online application, the five-business-day licensing meeting, the required documents, the conditional licence and one-year NDAEB deadline, the 65 dollar application fee, the 324 dollar annual licence fee, and the Bedford office address.
• Nova Scotia Regulator of Dentistry and Dental Assisting, Dental Assistant Requirement Checklist — the document checklist, the 65 dollar application fee, the 324 dollar annual licence fee with the 162 dollar reduction after October 31, and the 65 dollar initial registration fee that conflicts with the application page.
• Government of Nova Scotia, Dentistry and Dental Assisting Regulations — the Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia continued as the Nova Scotia Regulator of Dentistry and Dental Assisting effective May 1, 2025, the dental assisting scope of practice, and the registration criteria including an approved education program and Board-required examinations.
• Nova Scotia Dental Association, Careers Campaign Fact Sheet — the accredited Nova Scotia schools, Nova Scotia Community College and CBBC Career College, and the one-year program length.
• National Dental Assisting Examining Board, NDAEB — that the NDAEB certificate is required for new dental assisting graduates seeking registration in Nova Scotia.
• National Dental Assisting Examining Board, Fees — the Theory Exam $100 application fee and $630 examination fee, the $1,685 Clinical Practice Evaluation fee, the $75 practice examination, the $210 withdrawal fee, and the $50 remedial attempt fee.
• National Dental Assisting Examining Board, Theory Exam Schedule — the 2027 Theory Exam sittings, the January 4, 2027 registration opening, and the application deadlines.