Dental Assisting
Timelines for Processing Applications
Applicants Currently Licensed in Canada
We are complaint with the Patient Access to Care Act (PACA). For applicants currently licensed in another Canadian province or territory, we will process your application within 5 business days following the receipt of a COMPLETE APPLICATION.
A complete application means that you have submitted all required documents and we have had the opportunity to gather any follow-up information necessary following review of your documents.
Such documents include:
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- criminal record check,
- vulnerable sector check,
- reference letters, and
- certificates of standing from all jurisdictions where you were previously licensed as a health professional.
Applicants Not Currently Licensed in Canada
For all other applicants (not currently licensed elsewhere in Canada) we strive to meet the same 5-day timeline following the receipt of a COMPLETE APPLICATION. However, this timeframe may be extended slightly:
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- during staff vacation periods such as in December, and
- during the height of new applications following graduation in May and June.
We appreciate your patience during these periods.
Help with Documents
If you need help or clarification on the documentation required, our staff will assist you.
Internationally-trained Dentists and Dental Hygienists Applying to be Registered as Dental Assistants in Nova Scotia
If you are an internationally-trained dentist or dental hygienist and wish to be licensed as a dental assistant in Nova Scotia, you must follow the instructions on this page There you will find a checklist of requirements.
Important
- In addition to submitting your application, you will need to ensure that a letter or certificate or letter of standing is sent to us from anywhere you have been previously licensed as a health professional.
- You will need to obtain and include with your application a certified copy of your graduation certificate or diploma from your dentistry or dental hygiene program.
Dental Assistant Applicants coming from Ontario or Quebec
If you are applying for registration and licensure as a dental assistant in Nova Scotia and you have previously worked only in Ontario and/or Quebec, it is important to know that dental assisting is not a regulated health profession in those provinces.
Therefore
- You will need to follow the application stream for First Application for a Dental Assisting Licence in Canada.
- You will need to provide verification that you have been engaged in clinical dental assisting within the past 5 years. (For example, this might be letter from an employer.)