Dental Assistant Requirements in Georgia: Registration, X-Ray Rules & Allowed Duties
Georgia's dental board rules divide dental assistants into a general duty category and an expanded duty category, but set no state registration or license requirement for either; Chapter 150-9 governs what each may do under a dentist's "direct supervision and control." A general duty assistant may place and expose radiographs after completing the required x-ray training.
An expanded duty assistant needs a course-specific certificate from an accredited program, plus a competency exam, before performing tasks such as monitoring nitrous oxide.
Lasers and intraoral micro-etching are off-limits to both.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Entry-level assistant
Registration
Not required
Dental assistant
Credential levels
2
Verified September 2026
Regulated by
Georgia Board of Dentistry
The Short Version
- Registration or licensure
- The delegated-duties chapter defines a general duty and an expanded duty dental assistant but sets out no registration, licensing, or certification process administered by the Georgia Board of Dentistry itself for either category.
- Taking x-rays
- A dental assistant may place and expose radiographs once the training required under the state's separate "X-Rays in the Health Arts" rule is completed, though the chapter text prints no citation number for that rule and the Board's 2023 amendment notice references it as Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-90-.04.
- Credential titles the state uses
- Dental assistant · Expanded duty dental assistant
Georgia's two dental assistant categories
The chapter defines a dental assistant as someone employed in a dental office to assist the dentist, with no credential of its own beyond direct supervision.
An expanded duty dental assistant is a second tier: it requires a high school diploma or equivalent, current CPR certification, and a certificate for each specific duty from an accredited dental assisting program, dental hygiene school, dental school, or a professional association the Board recognizes and approves, plus a competency exam a licensed dentist administers.
To take the certificate courses, a candidate needs current Certified Dental Assistant status, graduation from (or eligibility to graduate from) a one-year accredited dental assisting program, or six months of chairside employment by a licensed dentist within the previous three years.
To meet the requirements of an expanded duty dental assistant, a dental assistant must have a high school diploma, or the equivalent thereof, proof of current CPR certification and a certificate documenting that he or she has successfully completed the course pertaining to the specific duties outlined in that certificate.
What "direct supervision and control" means
Direct supervision and control requires a Georgia-licensed dentist to be in the dental office or treatment facility, personally diagnose the condition being treated, and personally authorize the procedures before they happen.
The dentist must remain in the office or facility while the dental assistant performs the procedures, and must evaluate the assistant's work before the patient is dismissed.
Direct supervision and control as it pertains to a dental assistant shall mean that a dentist licensed in Georgia is in the dental office or treatment facility, personally diagnoses the condition to be treated, personally authorizes the procedures and remains in the dental office or treatment facility while the procedures are being performed by the dental assistant and, before dismissal of the patient, evaluates the performance of the dental assistant.
General duties a dental assistant may perform
Under a licensed dentist's direct supervision, a general duty dental assistant may be delegated tasks including taking diagnostic impressions, placing and exposing radiographs after required x-ray training, removing non-wire sutures and periodontal dressing, placing and removing rubber dams, applying topical anesthetic, fabricating and cementing temporary crowns and bridges, placing matrix bands and wedges, and select orthodontic tasks such as seating pre-sized arch wires and bands the dentist has placed.
Phlebotomy and venipuncture are allowed after Board-approved training, and rubber cup prophy on primary teeth after a Board-approved curriculum or eight hours of on-the-job training.
The rule limits delegation to duties that are easily reversible and carry no increased risk to the patient.
In addition to routine duties, the general duties identified below may be delegated to dental assistants under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist. These duties may only be delegated in those instances when they are easily reversible and will not result in increased risk to the patient:
Expanded duties available with the certificate
Once an assistant holds the course-specific certificate, the expanded duties list adds tasks such as applying desensitizing agents and cavity liners, intraoral fabrication of temporary crowns and bridges (adjustments performed extraorally), face bow transfers, taking impressions to repair a prosthesis or fabricate a night guard, placing periodontal dressing, monitoring nitrous oxide/oxygen, applying topical anticariogenic agents and sealants, packing retraction cord, changing bleaching agent after the dentist's initial application, and several orthodontic tasks such as placing springs and hooks, removing loose bonds, and taking digital scans for orthodontic appliances.
Only the specific duties named on the assistant's certificate may be performed.
Only those expanded duties, which are listed on the certificate(s), may be performed by an expanded duty dental assistant.
Taking x-rays
Placing and exposing radiographs sits on the general duty delegable list, conditioned on the assistant completing the training required by a separate state rule the chapter calls "X-Rays in the Health Arts." The chapter text names no additional radiography permit, course length, or exam for this duty beyond that training requirement.
The Board's April 2023 notice proposing to amend Rule 150-9-.01 shows the citation for that x-ray training rule changing from Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 290-5-22-.04 to 111-8-90-.04; the current chapter text prints no rule number at all.
Place and expose radiographs after completing the training required by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. titled X-Rays in the Health Arts.
What a dental assistant may never do
A dental assistant may never perform any of the operations the law catalogs as dental hygiene treatments under O.C.G.A. § 43-11-74 or Board rule.
Separately, the chapter bars both general and expanded duty dental assistants from using laser equipment and technology, and from using intraoral micro-etching or air polishing equipment and technology, for any duty otherwise authorized by these rules.
General and expanded duty dental assistants shall not utilize laser equipment and technology in the course of the performance of their duties which are otherwise authorized by these rules.
Monitoring nitrous oxide
An expanded duty dental assistant holding the relevant certificate may monitor the administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen, turn it off at the end of the procedure, and adjust the level, but only as specifically instructed by the supervising dentist.
The chapter does not list nitrous oxide monitoring among the general duty assistant's delegable tasks.
Monitor the administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen; turn off nitrous oxide/oxygen at the completion of the dental procedure and make adjustments to the level of nitrous oxide/oxygen, but only following the specific instructions of the dentist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a dental assistant need to register or get licensed in Georgia?
No. Georgia's delegated-duties chapter defines a general duty and an expanded duty dental assistant and spells out what each may do, but it sets out no state registration, license, or certification process run by the Georgia Board of Dentistry itself.
An expanded duty assistant instead needs a course-specific certificate from an accredited program, school, or Board-approved professional association.
Confirm current requirements with the Board before assuming no paperwork is needed.
Can a dental assistant take x-rays in Georgia?
Yes.
Rule 150-9-.01 lists placing and exposing radiographs among the duties a dentist may delegate to a dental assistant, once the assistant completes the training required by the state's "X-Rays in the Health Arts" rule.
The chapter's current text prints no citation number for that training rule, though a 2023 Board notice references it as Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-90-.04.
Check the current number with the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
Does the dentist have to be in the room while an assistant works?
Not necessarily the same room, but yes to the building. "Direct supervision and control" requires a Georgia-licensed dentist to be in the dental office or treatment facility, personally diagnose and authorize the procedure, remain in the office or facility while the assistant performs it, and evaluate the assistant's work before the patient is dismissed.
Verify the current definition with the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
What can a dental assistant never do in Georgia?
A dental assistant may never perform any operation the law defines as a dental hygiene treatment under O.C.G.A. § 43-11-74 or Board rule, and every delegated duty must be easily reversible and carry no increased risk to the patient.
Rule 150-9-.03 separately bars both general and expanded duty assistants from using laser equipment or intraoral micro-etching and air polishing equipment for any duty.
Confirm any specific task with the Georgia Board of Dentistry before assuming it is allowed.
How do I become an expanded duty dental assistant in Georgia?
You need a high school diploma or equivalent, current CPR certification, and a certificate for each specific duty from an accredited dental assisting program, dental hygiene school, dental school, or a Board-approved professional association, plus a competency exam a licensed dentist administers.
To take the certificate courses, you need current Certified Dental Assistant status, graduation from (or eligibility to graduate from) a one-year accredited program, or six months of chairside employment by a licensed dentist in the previous three years.
Confirm current course providers with the Board.
Who regulates dental assistants in Georgia?
Dental Assistants in Georgia are regulated by the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
The rules on this page come from the state's own statute and board rules as published on the dates shown; they change over time, so verify current requirements with the board before relying on them.
More Georgia & Dental Assistant Resources
Sourced from Georgia Compiled Rules & Regulations, Department 150 (Georgia Board of Dentistry), Chapter 150-9 Delegated Duties — Rules 150-9-.01 General Duties of Dental Assistants, 150-9-.02 Expanded Duties of Dental Assistants, 150-9-.03 Prohibited Use of Technologies by Dental Assistants (whole chapter) (No currency or effective date printed on the source page; saved 2026-09-14.); Notice of Intent to Amend Rule 150-9-.01 General Duties of Dental Assistants (Posted April 28 2023). Verified September 2026. This page summarizes the state's own statute and board rules as published on the dates shown. It is general information, not legal advice, and rules change: confirm anything you intend to rely on with the state dental board before acting on it.