Dental Assistant Requirements in Illinois: Registration, X-Ray Rules & Allowed Duties
Illinois does not require a dental assistant to register or hold a license.
The Illinois Dental Practice Act instead defines a dental assistant as an appropriately trained person who works under a dentist's supervision and full responsibility, and names 19 specific procedures an assistant may never perform.
Beyond that baseline, an assistant who meets age, experience, or certification thresholds may take on monitoring nitrous oxide and sedation, coronal polishing, sealant placement, and amalgam restorations, each gated behind its own course-hour and documentation rule.
The rule does not address dental radiography for assistants.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Entry-level assistant
Registration
Not required
Dental Assistant
Credential levels
1
Verified September 2026
Regulated by
Illinois Board of Dentistry
The Short Version
- Registration or licensure
- Section 1220.245, which defines and governs dental assistants, names no registration, license, or application process for the role; a dental assistant instead qualifies as "appropriately trained" through completed formal training or the supervising dentist's on-the-job assessment.
- Taking x-rays
- Section 1220.245's list of permitted and prohibited dental-assistant duties does not mention dental radiography or x-rays at all, so the source gives no course, permit, or supervision standard for an assistant to expose radiographs.
- Credential titles the state uses
- Dental Assistant
What Illinois means by "dental assistant"
Illinois Administrative Code Part 1220 defines a dental assistant as an appropriately trained person who works under a dentist's supervision and provides dental services or procedures as authorized by the Act or this Part. "Appropriately trained" covers two paths: completing formal training required for a specific service or procedure, or being judged competent by the supervising dentist through on-the-job training for any other authorized service.
The Part names no separate credential tiers — dental assistant is the only title it defines.
"Dental Assistant" means an appropriately trained person who, under the supervision of a dentist, provides dental services or procedures as authorized by Section 17 of the Act or as prescribed by this Part.
Supervision and the dentist's final check
A dental assistant may act only while under the supervision and full responsibility of a supervising dentist.
The rule closes the loop with a same-day check: every intraoral procedure a dental assistant performs must be examined by the supervising dentist before the patient leaves the facility that day.
Part 1220 does not define separate "direct" or "general" supervision terms for dental assistants — supervision and full responsibility is the standard that governs delegation throughout Section 1220.245.
All intraoral procedures performed by a dental assistant must be examined by the supervising dentist prior to the dismissal of the patient from the facility that day.
Duties a dental assistant may perform
Subsection (b) sets the default rule broadly: an appropriately trained dental assistant acting under a dentist's supervision and full responsibility may perform any dental service or procedure except the 19 listed exclusions.
Subsection (c) then opens five additional duties to an assistant who is at least 18 and has 1,000 hours of clinical dental-assisting experience, has graduated from a CODA-accredited dental assistant program, or holds current DANB certification: monitoring nitrous oxide, monitoring minimal/moderate/deep sedation or general anesthesia, coronal polishing, pit-and-fissure sealant application, and placing, carving and finishing amalgam restorations.
Each of those five carries its own course-hour, documentation, and supervision conditions set out in the rule.
Provided that a dental assistant is appropriately trained pursuant to this Section and is acting under the supervision and full responsibility of a dentist, a dental assistant may perform any dental service or procedure except the following:
The 19 procedures a dental assistant may never perform
Regardless of training, the rule bars a dental assistant from diagnosing or prescribing treatment; removing or adding to hard or soft oral tissue (coronal polishing and acid etching excepted); correcting malformations of the teeth or jaws; administering anesthetics other than the nitrous-oxide and sedation monitoring allowed elsewhere in the section; removing calculus; taking final impressions for prosthetic appliances; oral prophylaxis other than coronal polishing; denture adjustments; placing and finishing composite restorations; permanently cementing or re-cementing crowns and bridges; placing chemotherapeutic periodontal agents; applying cavity bases; cementing orthodontic bands or bonding brackets; supra- or subgingival scaling; pulp vitality tests; intraoral use of a high-speed handpiece; using a laser to remove tissue; and placing or removing implant prosthetic components.
Administration of anesthetics, except for monitoring of nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, deep sedation and general anesthetic, as provided in Section 8.1 of the Act.
Qualifying to monitor nitrous oxide and sedation
An assistant who is at least 18 and meets the experience or certification threshold in subsection (c) may monitor nitrous oxide after completing an approved 12-hour course (6 hours if grandfathered under an earlier qualifying course), while functioning under a dentist who must remain in the facility.
Only a dentist or a qualified dental hygienist may start or stop the flow of nitrous oxide to the patient.
Monitoring minimal, moderate or deep sedation, or general anesthesia calls for a separate 12-hour course split into 6 hours of didactic education and 6 hours of clinical training, again under the supervising dentist's on-site presence.
Both pathways call for the assistant to maintain BLS certification.
The dental assistant is responsible for obtaining proof of certification validating completion of a course or courses totaling 12 hours or more, including 6 hours of didactic education and 6 hours of clinical training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register or get licensed to work as a dental assistant in Illinois?
No. Part 1220 defines a dental assistant as an appropriately trained person working under a dentist's supervision, and Section 1220.245 — the section defining and governing dental assistants — names no registration, license, or application requirement for that role. "Appropriately trained" means either completing formal training required for a specific service or being judged competent by the supervising dentist through on-the-job training.
Confirm current requirements with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
Can a dental assistant take x-rays in Illinois?
Section 1220.245, the Illinois Dental Practice Act's dental-assistant duties section, does not address dental radiography or x-ray duties anywhere in its list of permitted or prohibited procedures.
It neither grants nor bars an assistant from exposing radiographs, so the rule as extracted here gives no course, permit, or supervision standard to follow.
Confirm current radiography requirements directly with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
Does the dentist have to be in the room while a dental assistant works?
The rule doesn't spell out a physical-presence standard the way some states define "direct" or "general" supervision.
It requires a dental assistant to act under the supervising dentist's supervision and full responsibility, and it requires the supervising dentist to examine every intraoral procedure the assistant performs before the patient leaves the facility that day.
For nitrous oxide and sedation monitoring specifically, the dentist must remain in the facility while the assistant works.
Confirm expectations with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
What can a dental assistant never do in Illinois?
Section 1220.245 lists 19 procedures a dental assistant may never perform no matter how trained, including diagnosing or prescribing treatment, removing calculus, taking final impressions for crowns or bridges, administering anesthetics other than approved nitrous-oxide or sedation monitoring, permanently cementing crowns or bridges, subgingival or supragingival scaling, and using a laser to remove tissue.
The rule treats coronal polishing and acid etching as exceptions to the tissue-removal restriction.
Review the full list with the Illinois Board of Dentistry before delegating an unlisted procedure.
How does a dental assistant become qualified to monitor nitrous oxide or sedation in Illinois?
An assistant who is at least 18 and has 1,000 hours of clinical experience, is a CODA program graduate, or holds current DANB certification may monitor nitrous oxide after an approved 12-hour course (6 hours if grandfathered under an earlier course), while the supervising dentist remains in the facility.
Monitoring minimal, moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia calls for a separate 12-hour course split between didactic and clinical training.
Only a dentist or qualified hygienist may start or stop the nitrous flow.
Confirm current course approval with the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
Who regulates dental assistants in Illinois?
Dental Assistants in Illinois are regulated by the Illinois 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 Illinois & Dental Assistant Resources
Sourced from Illinois Administrative Code, Title 68, Part 1220 — Illinois Dental Practice Act (Sections 1220.10 Definitions and 1220.245 Prescribed Duties of Dental Assistants extracted) (Section 1220.10 Definitions (amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 1672 effective January 23, 2023); Section 1220.245 Prescribed Duties of Dental Assistants (amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 12553 effective September 2, 2016)). 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.