Dental Assistant Requirements in Nebraska: Registration, X-Ray Rules & Allowed Duties

Chapter 53's title covers both 'unlicensed dental assistants' and the licensure of dental assistants, but the chapter's own body sets out a single licensing pathway, the dental assistant license under section 003, and a separate expanded function permit under section 009 built on top of that license.

It does not further define a distinct unlicensed practice category or a duty list specific to it.

To obtain a license, an applicant submits a complete Department application and shows either 1,500 hours of experience assisting a dentist or graduation from an accredited dental assisting program, verified by an official transcript sent directly from the school.

Every applicant must also pass the Certified Dental Assistant exam administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, scored by the Objective Standard Setting method, and pass a jurisprudence exam with a score of 75 or above.

An applicant who twice fails a practical exam must complete a remedial course of at least 15 hours, at least 10 of them under the faculty member's direct supervision.

The chapter does not define terms like 'direct supervision' or 'general supervision' for clinical practice.

It uses 'under the supervision of a licensed dentist' for the additional duties a dental assistant may perform, and 'under indirect supervision of a licensed dentist' for coronal polishing, without further defining what either term requires of the dentist's location or availability.

Beyond ordinary chairside direction, section 011.02 lets a dental assistant under a licensed dentist's supervision provide infection control practices meeting the national standards the CDC outlined in its Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings, published October 2016, and complete any task or procedure that does not require a licensed dentist's or licensed hygienist's professional skill or judgment.

The chapter does not otherwise print a task-by-task list of everyday chairside duties.

Nebraska does not create a separate dental-radiography permit.

To be approved, a dental x-ray course must include a minimum of 16 hours of classroom instruction, and like other approved courses it must be part of an accredited program or a separately accredited course, led by a qualified instructor, with written verification of demonstrated competency on completion.

Adding the resulting procedure to a license costs $10 under the additional-procedures fee schedule.

The additional-duties provision draws its line at professional judgment: a dental assistant supervised by a licensed dentist may not cut hard or soft tissue, perform irreversible procedures, provide restorative dentistry, make a dental diagnosis, or fabricate a treatment plan.

The chapter does not print a separate, broader list of prohibited acts beyond this one.

To monitor nitrous oxide, a dental assistant must hold current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification from a course accredited by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or an equivalent certification the Board of Dentistry approves.

A course training an assistant to monitor and administer nitrous oxide analgesia must include both written and practical exams proving the student can do so competently.

The chapter names no separate sedation credential beyond this course-and-CPR combination.

All licenses and permits expire March 1 of each odd-numbered year, and by that date each licensed dental assistant must complete at least 30 hours of acceptable continuing education from the preceding 24-month period.

Acceptable topics range from state and national dental-association meetings to home study with a testing mechanism, direct clinical observation, and CPR certification, and each licensee keeps their own certificates or records.

Credit-hour caps apply to several categories, and at least 2 hours must come from infection control.