May 1, 2026 | British Columbia

If you are comparing Certified vs. Chairside Dental Assistant in BC, there has been an important terminology change. As of April 1, 2026, the BCCOHP uses Licensed Dental Assistant (LDA) as the licence category. Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) was the previous designation. 

Chairside dental assistants and LDAs can both support dental teams, but their training, licence status and the services that may be delegated to them differ. Understanding those differences can help you decide which pathway better fits your career goals.

What Is a Dental Assistant in BC? 

Dental assistants support dentists during procedures, help keep clinics running smoothly, and make patients feel comfortable. In British Columbia, there are two main paths: 

• Chairside Dental Assistant (non-licensed)  
• Licensed Dental Assistant (LDA)*, formerly as CDA  

Both work in dental clinics. Both are hands-on. But the level of responsibility and opportunity is not the same. 

Chairside Dental Assistant: The Fastest Way In 

A chairside dental assistant does not hold an LDA licence with BCCOHP. This can be a more direct way to enter a dental office because formal LDA education and licensure are not required for the role itself. 

What Chairside Dental Assistants Usually Do 

Chairside dental assistants can support the dental team with duties such as: 

• Preparing treatment rooms and equipment 
• Sterilizing instruments and supporting infection control 
• Assisting dentists during procedures 
• Preparing and handling dental materials 
• Supporting patient flow 
• Helping with records and basic dental office tasks 

Chairside dental assistants are not limited to administrative duties. Certain clinical services may also be delegated when applicable BCCOHP training and supervision requirements are met. 

For example, a chairside dental assistant may be able to perform intra-oral x-rays after completing the applicable dental radiography training and meeting BCCOHP requirements. 

Why Some People Choose This Path 

A chairside role may appeal if you: 

• Want a quicker way to gain experience in a dental office 
• Do not want to commit to formal LDA training immediately 
• Want to explore whether dental assisting is the right field for you 

What Are the Trade-Offs? 

The main trade-off is scope. 

Chairside dental assistants can perform permitted and delegated services, but they do not have access to the same range of clinical responsibilities that may be delegated to an LDA. If you eventually want broader intra-oral responsibilities and a formal professional licence, you may decide to pursue the LDA pathway. 

Licensed Dental Assistant (LDA)* : A Step Further   

A Licensed Dental Assistant (LDA) holds an active professional licence with BCCOHP. Before April 1, 2026, this licence category was known as Certified Dental Assistant (CDA). 

Compared with a chairside dental assistant, an LDA can be delegated a broader range of clinical services under BCCOHP’s bylaws. 

What Licensed Dental Assistants Can Do 

Along with chairside dental assisting duties, LDAs may be delegated additional services such as: 

• Obtaining impressions and occlusal records 
• Applying and adjusting fissure sealants 
• Placing and removing matrices and wedges 
• Performing additional intra-oral dental assisting skills 
• Performing other authorized services when applicable training requirements are met 

LDAs may also perform intra-oral radiography under applicable requirements, although radiography is not exclusive to LDAs because appropriately trained chairside dental assistants may also qualify to perform it. 

The key difference is that BCCOHP permits a broader range of clinical services to be delegated to an LDA. 

What Does It Take to Become an LDA? 

For graduates following the accredited-program pathway, the main steps are: 

• Complete a CDAC-accredited dental assisting program 
• Meet the applicable NDAEB examination requirements 
• Obtain the NDAEB Certificate 
• Apply to BCCOHP for an LDA licence 

The NDAEB Certificate and the BCCOHP licence are separate credentials. Graduates must complete the applicable licensing process before practising as an LDA.

CDI College’s Dental Assisting program in Burnaby and Surrey is 55 weeks and CDAC-accredited, giving graduates the educational pathway to apply for the NDAEB examination. Most programs take around one year, which is why this path attracts students who want a faster entry into healthcare. 

For the complete licensing process, read How to Become a Licensed Dental Assistant in BC. 

Licensed vs. Chairside Dental Assistant in BC: Key Differences 

The main differences are easier to see side by side: 

The difference is therefore better understood as licensure and scope of delegated services, rather than simply “non-clinical versus clinical.” 

Why Students Consider the Licensed Dental Assistant Pathway? 

The BC labour market provides some useful context:

• WorkBC forecasts 3,130 job openings between 2025 and 2035 for Dental Assistants and Dental Laboratory Assistants in BC. 
• About 75% of workers are employed full-time.
• A college certificate or diploma is the largest education category.

They show that dental assisting is an established occupation in BC and that post-secondary training is common among people working in the field. 

For someone coming out of high school or considering a career change, the LDA pathway may line up with several practical priorities: 

• A shorter training route than many 3- or 4-year degree programs 
• Hands-on clinical training rather than classroom learning alone 
• A clear pathway from accredited education to the NDAEB and BCCOHP licensure 
• A broader clinical scope than a chairside dental assistant 

CDI College’s Dental Assisting program, for example, is 55 weeks, providing a relatively direct training route for students who want to pursue LDA licensure. 

How CDI College’s Dental Assisting Training Supports the LDA Pathway 

For students who decide to pursue LDA licensure, formal dental assisting education is the first stage. 

CDI College’s 55-week Dental Assisting diploma program in Burnaby and Surrey combines classroom, laboratory, clinical and practical workplace training. 

Students study areas including: 

• Chairside dental assisting 
• Dental radiography 
• Infection prevention and control 
• Dental materials 
• Intra-oral dental assisting 
• Oral health education 
• Ethics and jurisprudence 
• Dental practice management 

Clinical and Practical Experience 

The program combines on-campus clinical training with experience in dental workplaces. 

Students complete 175 hours of mandatory outside practical experience in private dental practices: 

• 75 hours in Phase I 
• 100 hours in Phase II 

Before applying their skills in the workplace, students also receive on-campus clinical training where they practise and are assessed on dental assisting procedures. This gives students opportunities to build practical skills in a supervised learning environment and then apply their training in a real dental practice. 

Want to know more about the learning experience? Read What Courses Are Tough in a Dental Assistant Program?. 

CDAC Accreditation and NDAEB Eligibility 

There are two important points for students planning to pursue LDA licensure: 

• CDAC accreditation: CDI College’s Burnaby and Surrey Dental Assisting programs are CDAC-accredited, and graduates are eligible to apply for the NDAEB examination. 
• Recent NDAEB results: In the June 2025 NDAEB sitting, students from both CDI College’s Burnaby and Surrey campuses achieved a 100% pass rate. (NDAEB Exam Reports, September 2021 - September 2025.)

These results provide a recent measure of how CDI students performed on the national examination. 

However, graduating from CDI College does not automatically make someone an LDA. Graduates must still meet applicable NDAEB requirements and complete BCCOHP’s licensing process. 

The Bigger Picture: Why This Decision Matters 

The choice isn’t just about how fast you can start working, it comes down to how much training and clinical responsibility you want. 

A chairside role may be a better fit if you want a more direct way to gain experience in a dental office without immediately pursuing LDA licensure. 

Consider the LDA pathway if you want: 

• Structured dental assisting education 
• Hands-on clinical and workplace training 
• A broader range of delegated clinical responsibilities 
• A defined pathway through the NDAEB and BCCOHP licensure 

If that sounds closer to the role you want, CDI College’s Dental Assisting diploma program in Burnaby and Surrey can provide the education and practical training that form the first stage of the LDA pathway. 

Request more information to explore the program, admission requirements and campus availability.