ODAA - Ontario Dental Assistants Association

03/07/2026

As Dental Assistant Recognition Week comes to an end, we want to thank our members for the amazing work they do, whether chairside or elsewhere, and their dedication to their profession and communities!

Whether working chairside supporting dentists and hygienists, at the front desk, in public health, in sales for oral health products and services, teaching future generations of Dental Assistants, or behind the scenes in insurance or policy, Ontario Certified Dental Assistants contribute their skills and knowledge every day and deserve recognition year-round.

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/06/2026

As we begin to wrap up Dental Assistants Recognition Week 2026, we’re proud to celebrate the incredible versatility of Certified Dental Assistants and the many ways their knowledge and skills open doors across the profession.

Our members contribute in a wide range of settings — providing chairside support to dentists and hygienists, managing reception and billing, coordinating treatment plans, working in public health, educating future Certified Dental Assistants, supporting sales of oral health products and services, and contributing behind the scenes in insurance and policy. We’re also proud to support students currently completing their formal training, preparing to deliver high-quality patient care and play an essential role on the interprofessional oral health care team.

Through Certification with the Ontario Dental Assistants Association, Certified Dental Assistants demonstrate their commitment to excellence. Ongoing Continuing Education requirements ensure their knowledge remains current, their skills stay sharp, and their standards remain high. Wherever their careers take them, Certified Dental Assistants continue to be a driving force in advancing safe, effective, and compassionate oral health care.

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/06/2026

Often the first point of contact in a practice, Certified Dental Assistants help establish the foundation of trust in every patient relationship. They guide patients through their appointments with clarity and compassion, provide comfort in moments of uncertainty, and deliver clinical excellence at every step.

A dental office operates most effectively when Certified Dental Assistants are part of the team — providing skilled, efficient support to dentists and ensuring a seamless patient journey from start to finish. With the ongoing implementation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, the skills and expertise of Certified Dental Assistants are in greater demand than ever as access to oral health care continues to expand.

Dental Assistant Recognition Week is an opportunity to acknowledge and thank Certified Dental Assistants for their professionalism, dedication, and invaluable contributions to oral health care.

Learn more about the importance of Certified Dental Assistants and DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/05/2026

During Dental Assistants Recognition Week, we’re proudly celebrating the impact and skillfulness of Certified Dental Assistants and the many ways their formal education and experience open doors across the profession.

Dental Assisting is more than a role — it’s a foundation for a diverse range of career pathways. Certified Dental Assistants develop highly transferable knowledge and skills that support opportunities in chairside assisting, public health, treatment coordination, administrative leadership, clinical education, sales, insurance advising, and more. Their adaptability strengthens not only dental practices but also the broader oral health community.

Dental Assistants Recognition Week is an opportunity to acknowledge the wide range of skills, knowledge, and expertise formally trained Certified Dental Assistants bring to their workplaces while celebrating that we’re “Stronger Together!”

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/05/2026

Happy Dental Assistants Recognition Week!

A dental office operates most efficiently when it includes Certified Dental Assistants. They provide competent, effective assistance to dentists throughout the entire patient journey. With their formal training and clinical expertise, Certified Dental Assistants are invaluable members of the dental team and play an important role in the success of every practice.

In Ontario, Dental Assistants are certified by the Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA). The Level II intra-oral certification is the standard across Ontario that ensures they have gained the knowledge, skills and training to assist in keeping the dental office running smoothly and performing the tasks required to keep patients safe and comfortable. This certification designates the successful completion of hands-on training in a college setting followed by an entry-to-practice exam. It ensures that the dentist and the patient can rely on the competency of the Dental Assistant and be confident that they can perform the tasks required of them.

Learn more about the importance of Certification and DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/04/2026

Certified Dental Assistants are highly trained oral health care professionals and vital assets in dental offices, often described as the backbone of the practice. They’re responsible for a multitude of tasks to ensure patient safety and optimal outcomes.

For example, a single day for a Level II Certified Dental Assistant might include:
● Assisting with clinical treatment
● Offering support to patients
● Preparing and sanitizing treatment spaces
● Providing oral hygiene instruction
● Taking X-rays as specified by HARP
● Managing supplies and equipment
● Controlling and preventing infection
● Managing patient records
● Taking extra-/intra-oral photographs
● Filing insurance claims
● Applying fluoride treatments
● And much, much more!

Dental Assistants Recognition Week is an opportunity to acknowledge the wide range of skills, knowledge, and expertise that formally trained Certified Dental Assistants bring to their workplaces. By leveraging each team member’s expertise, a dental practice can adopt best practices in oral health care and be “Stronger Together!”

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/04/2026

We are Stronger Together!

The ODAA has chosen the theme “Stronger Together,” not only to highlight the important role that Certified Dental Assistants play within the interprofessional oral health care team, but also to highlight the strength of membership in their professional association — the Ontario Dental Assistants Association!

The ODAA recognizes and advances the professional standing of Certified Dental Assistants, Certified Dental Receptionists, and Certified Dental Treatment Coordinators. We support our members as essential and valued professionals integral to the oral health care team, fostering respect and pride through advocacy, leadership, quality continuing education, and recognized credentials.

ODAA President, Cheryl Russell-Julien, CDA II, credits the Association with showing her the importance of being part of a strong professional community. “When I joined the Association in 1980, it became clear that being part of a dynamic group of dedicated professionals was something truly special,” Russell-Julien recalls.

“Being a Certified Dental Assistant has taught me resilience, the importance of lifelong learning, empathy, and just how powerful we can be in making a difference not only in our patients’ lives but in the future of our profession. And as members of the Association, we are a unified voice, stronger together, advocating to move our profession forward.”

Learn more about the ODAA and DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/03/2026

This Dental Assistants Recognition Week, we want to highlight how the transferable knowledge and skills that Certified Dental Assistants acquire through formal training and maintain through their Certification enable employment opportunities across many different environments!

Our members work in a diverse range of settings, including providing chairside assistance for dentists and hygienists, in reception and billing, coordinating treatment, in public health, teaching future Certified Dental Assistants, sales for oral health products and services, or behind the scenes in insurance or policy. Our members also include students who are completing formal training to provide high-quality patient care and play a vital role on the interprofessional oral health care team.

Membership and Certification with the ODAA provide a trusted lens to practice, valued by team members and patients alike. Wherever they work, Certified Dental Assistants’ commitment to continuing education, high standards of care, and robust knowledge make them an invaluable asset to their field.

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

03/03/2026

The oral health team is stronger when all team members and their skills are respected and recognized. By leveraging each team member’s expertise, a dental practice can adopt best practices in oral health care, resulting in optimal patient outcomes.

ODAA Chief Executive Officer, Tara Fitzpatrick, BA, CDA II, CDR, has seen firsthand the importance of utilizing the skills of all members of the oral health team. “Certified Dental Assistants are irreplaceable when it comes to the delivery of quality dental care. They take dental X-rays, complete fluoride treatments, and even file your insurance claims,” Fitzpatrick says, speaking from her over 25 years of experience as a Certified Dental Assistant. “Unfortunately, the shortage of these professionals already means that two-thirds of the dental offices in Ontario report needing to hire at least one new Dental Assistant.”

Whether working chairside supporting dentists and hygienists, at the front desk, in public health, in sales for oral health products and services, or behind the scenes in insurance, Ontario’s Certified Dental Assistants bring their skills and knowledge every day and deserve recognition year-round.

This Dental Assistants Recognition Week, celebrate the hardworking members of your team — Certified Dental Assistants — and be stronger together!

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

We are the Ontario Dental Assistants Association - the certifying body and membership association supporting Ontario Dental Assistants as respected healthcare professionals. More than 6,000 Ontario Dental Assistants belong to the ODAA.

03/02/2026

Certified Dental Assistants are integral to our oral health care system. They do everything from taking X-rays to filing insurance claims and from fluoride treatments to whitening your smile.

With a defined scope of practice, Dental Assistants provide essential skills and support not only to the dental team but, most importantly, to the patients they serve.

Certified Dental Assistants facilitate the work of dentists and hygienists, relying on their broad dental education, up-to-date knowledge of oral health trends through continuing education, and unique skills acquired through collaboration and experience.

This Dental Assistants Recognition Week, celebrate the hardworking members of your team — Certified Dental Assistants — and be stronger together!

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

We are the Ontario Dental Assistants Association - the certifying body and membership association supporting Ontario Dental Assistants as respected healthcare professionals. More than 6,000 Ontario Dental Assistants belong to the ODAA.

03/01/2026

Happy Dental Assistants Recognition Week!

From March 1-7, 2026, we’ll be celebrating and acknowledging hardworking Certified Dental Assistants across the province. The ODAA’s theme for 2026, Stronger Together, emphasizes Certified Dental Assistants’ role as essential team members whose collaboration and mutual respect strengthen the entire interprofessional health care team and improve patient care.

The first full week in March each year is designated Dental Assistants Recognition Week™ (also known as DARW) by the American Dental Assistants Association as the perfect time to acknowledge and recognize the versatile, multi-talented members of the dental team.

Learn more about DARW 2026 at https://odaa.org/DentalAssistantsRecognitionWeek.html

01/07/2026

The ODAA is hiring! The ODAA is seeking a Certified Dental Assistant to become our new Student Member Liaison.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the student membership process from start to finish. The Liaison will start by processing student membership applications and will continue by building supportive relationships with student members. They will ensure that the benefits of ODAA membership and the process for Certification are fully explained and understood.

The Student Member Liaison will be the first point of contact for student members during their Dental Assisting program. They will provide support and guidance to students throughout the process of becoming a Certified Dental Assistant. Mentorship to student members will be paramount as they navigate through the busy and often unfamiliar waters of post-secondary education. The Student Member Liaison has a vital role to play in the Association, as student members represent the growth and future of the ODAA.

The ideal candidate will be efficient, highly organized, self-motivated, confident, reliable, and an effective communicator who is proficient in written and verbal communication. This is a leadership role as the successful candidate will be a mentor to our student members. In addition, the candidate should be familiar with data entry and efficient in Microsoft applications, including Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel. Relationship-building, teamwork, and collaborative skills are essential to this role. The position will be held by a person who is competent in prioritizing and working with little supervision.

This is a permanent full-time position consisting of 32 hours per week that will be hybrid, comprising of remote and in-office work at least one day per week at the ODAA office located in London, ON. Hours of work are flexible and will be set after consultation with the CEO. No evenings or weekends. Educational requirements will consist of completion of an approved Level I and II Dental Assisting program. The successful candidate will be a current ODAA member in good standing and hold an active Certification.

Learn more at https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4330547443/