General Chairside
39%of exam
Infection Control
31%of exam
Radiation Health Safety
31%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- DANB CDA
- Components
- GC + ICE + RHS
- Questions
- 245 MCQ
- Time
- 195 min
- Testing
- Pearson VUE
- Scoring
- CAT scaled
- Pass
- 400 each component
- Window
- 60 days
- Credential
- Renew annually
CDA Components
CDA needs every GIRL component.
GCICERHSWithin five years
CDA vs Components
CDA
- Credential outcome
- GC + ICE + RHS
- Annual renewal
Components
- Separate exams
- Five-year validity
- Can take separately
Credential vs exams
Procedure Picker
- Need tooth isolation→Dental dam
- Control aerosol→HVE
- Restore proximal wall→Matrix band
- Final prosthesis record→Elastomeric impression
- Preliminary model→Alginate
- Pit protection→Sealant
Eligibility + Logistics
- CDA
- Three component exams
- GC
- 95 questions
- ICE
- 75 questions
- RHS
- 75 questions
- GC time
- 75 minutes
- ICE time
- 60 minutes
- RHS time
- 60 minutes
- Five-year rule
- Pass all components
- RHS/ICE
- No eligibility
- GC pathways
- Three routes
HVE vs Saliva Ejector
HVE
- Aerosol control
- High-volume suction
- Assistant operated
Saliva ejector
- Moisture control
- Low-volume suction
- Patient comfort
Aerosol vs saliva
GC Weights
- Evaluation
- 17%
- Patient management
- 17%
- Chairside dentistry
- 50%Heavy
- Dental materials
- 16%
- Preliminary exam
- Vitals + histories
- Oral anatomy
- Teeth + tissues
- Documentation
- Consent + treatment
- Emergencies
- Medical complications
Chairside Workflow
- Room setup
- Prepare surfaces
- Tray setup
- Procedure armamentarium
- Seating
- Patient position
- Operator zone
- Dentist access
- Assistant zone
- Transfer access
- Transfer
- Instrument exchange
- Dental dam
- Isolation field
- HVE
- Aerosol control
- Saliva ejector
- Moisture control
GC Procedures
- Restorative
- Prep + restore
- Crown
- Prep + cement
- Bridge
- Multiunit prosthesis
- Matrix band
- Wall replacement
- Final impression
- Prosthetic record
- Suture removal
- Post-op support
- Sealant
- Pit protection
- Fluoride
- Caries prevention
- Dry socket
- Post-extraction complication
Dental Materials
- Alginate
- Preliminary impression
- Elastomeric
- Final impression
- Wax
- Registration pattern
- Amalgam
- Metal restoration
- Composite
- Tooth-colored restoration
- Etchant
- Micromechanical retention
- Bonding agent
- Adhesive layer
- Glass ionomer
- Fluoride release
- Gypsum
- Cast material
Sterilization Flow
Dirty moves one direction only.
TransportCleanPackageSterilizeStore
Critical vs Semicritical
Critical
- Penetrates tissue
- Highest risk
- Heat sterilize
Semicritical
- Touches mucosa
- Usually heat sterilize
- HLD if heat-sensitive
Penetrate vs touch
Sterilization Picker
- Penetrates tissue→Heat sterilize(Critical)
- Touches mucosa→Heat sterilize(Semicritical)
- Cannot tolerate heat→High-level disinfect
- Touches intact skin→Low-level disinfect(Noncritical)
- Package is wet→Reprocess
- Routine speed needed→More instrument sets
ICE Weights
- Transmission prevention
- 20%
- Cross-contamination
- 34%Heavy
- Instrument processing
- 26%
- OSHA protocols
- 20%
- Hand hygiene
- Core protocol
- PPE
- Barrier protection
- Aerosols
- Evacuation + barriers
- Medical history
- Transmission review
OSHA Hazards
Blood and chemicals need plans.
BBPECPSharpsHazComSDS
Clean vs Sterilize
Clean
- Remove debris
- Before packaging
- Not final step
Sterilize
- Kill microorganisms
- After packaging
- Validated cycle
Debris before microbes
Cross-contamination
- Clinical contact
- Touch surfaces
- Housekeeping
- Low-touch surfaces
- Surface barrier
- Cover then discard
- Disinfectant
- EPA-registered product
- Single-use
- Discard after use
- Unit dose
- Avoid bulk contamination
- DUWL
- Waterline biofilm
- Impressions
- Disinfect before lab
- Biohazard waste
- Regulated disposal
Barrier vs Disinfect
Barrier
- Prevents contamination
- Remove after care
- Useful on touchpoints
Disinfect
- Chemical process
- After contamination
- Follow contact time
Prevent vs process
Instrument Processing
- Transport
- Covered puncture container
- Clean
- Remove debris first
- Ultrasonic
- Safer cleaning
- Package
- Maintain sterility
- Label
- Load traceability
- Load
- Manufacturer IFU
- Monitor
- Indicators + spores
- Store
- Dry closed cabinet
- Compromised pack
- Reprocess before use
OSHA + Safety
- BBP
- Bloodborne pathogens
- ECP
- Exposure control plan
- Sharps
- Engineered controls
- Needlestick
- Post-exposure protocol
- HazCom
- Chemical hazards
- SDS
- Chemical safety data
- Secondary label
- Container identification
- Training records
- Document compliance
ALARA Memory
Expose only what diagnosis needs.
JustificationCollimationPositioningRetake reduction
Paralleling vs Bisecting
Paralleling
- Receptor parallel
- Less distortion
- Preferred method
Bisecting
- Angle bisector
- More distortion risk
- Anatomy workaround
Parallel beats compromise
Radiograph Picker
- See apex→Periapical
- Detect proximal caries→Bitewing
- Full arch survey→Panoramic
- Occlusal localization→Occlusal
- Orthodontic profile→Cephalometric
- Three-dimensional need→CBCT
RHS Weights
- Purpose + technique
- 50%Heavy
- Radiation protection
- 25%
- RHS infection
- 25%
- Digital only
- No film concepts
- Periapical
- Entire tooth
- Bitewing
- Interproximal caries
- Panoramic
- Broad survey
- CBCT
- Three-dimensional imaging
Radiograph Errors
Overlap is horizontal; length is vertical.
OverlapElongationForeshorteningCone cut
Elongation vs Foreshortening
Elongation
- Teeth too long
- Too little vertical
- Increase angle
Foreshortening
- Teeth too short
- Too much vertical
- Decrease angle
Long up, short down
Error Correction Picker
- Contacts overlap→Fix horizontal angle
- Teeth elongated→Increase vertical angle
- Teeth foreshortened→Decrease vertical angle
- Cone cut appears→Align PID
- Image blurred→Stabilize patient
- Image too light→Check exposure
Radiography Technique
- Paralleling
- Preferred intraoral technique
- Bisecting
- Angle compromise
- Receptor
- Image capture
- Bite block
- Stabilizes receptor
- PID
- Directs x-ray beam
- Central ray
- Beam center
- Horizontal angle
- Contact separation
- Vertical angle
- Length distortion
- Mounting
- Anatomic orientation
kVp vs mA
kVp
- Beam energy
- Penetration
- Contrast influence
mA
- Photon amount
- Exposure intensity
- Density influence
Energy vs quantity
Radiation Protection
- ALARA
- Minimize exposure
- ALADA
- Diagnostic dose
- Primary beam
- Useful radiation
- Scatter
- Secondary radiation
- kVp
- Penetrating power
- mA
- Photon quantity
- Collimation
- Restrict beam
- Filtration
- Remove low energy
- Distance
- Operator protection
- Retake
- Unnecessary exposure
Image Errors
- Underexposed
- Too light
- Overexposed
- Too dark
- Cone cut
- Beam misalignment
- Overlap
- Horizontal error
- Elongation
- Low vertical angle
- Foreshortening
- High vertical angle
- Blur
- Movement
- Artifact
- Foreign object
- Reversed plate
- PSP orientation error
Common Traps
CDA Pass Logic
One strong component ≠ All components pass
GC Eligibility
RHS/ICE open access ≠ GC pathway required
Flash Sterilization
Convenience shortcut ≠ Routine approved method
Surface Workflow
Barrier removed after care ≠ Barrier reused between patients
Instrument Sequence
Clean before sterilize ≠ Sterilize visible debris
Radiography Scope
Digital radiography only ≠ Film chemistry tested
Image Error Cause
Overlap from horizontal ≠ Overlap from vertical
Radiation Safety
Retakes add dose ≠ Digital means unlimited retakes
OSHA Documents
SDS for chemicals ≠ SDS for blood exposure
Last Minute
- 1.CDA = GC + ICE + RHS
- 2.Pass components within five years
- 3.GC chairside dentistry = 50%
- 4.ICE cross-contamination = 34%
- 5.RHS purpose/technique = 50%
- 6.RHS tests digital only
- 7.Clean before package before sterilize
- 8.Critical items penetrate tissue
- 9.Semicritical items touch mucosa
- 10.Wet/torn pack gets reprocessed
- 11.Overlap means horizontal error
- 12.ALARA means minimize exposure
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