Ontario Dental Assistants Association

What Ontario Dental Assistants Association does

The Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1927 and headquartered in London, Ontario. It serves as the certifying body and membership association for Certified Dental Assistants (CDA, CDA II), Certified Dental Receptionists (CDR), Certified Dental Treatment Coordinators (CDTC), and Certified Preventive Dental Assistants (CPDA) practicing in Ontario. More than 6,000 dental assistants and students belong to the association, which administers initial certification aligned with the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) and the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) scope-of-practice standards, and enforces annual renewal through continuing education requirements.

Name

Ontario Dental Assistants Association

Legal name

Ontario Dental Assistants Association

Website

https://odaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ontario Dental Assistants Association is a nonprofit professional membership association and certifying body serving over 6,000 dental assistants, dental receptionists, and treatment coordinators in Ontario, Canada with credentials, continuing education, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association & Certification Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Assisting (EDAOAJAJ)

Keywords

• Dental assistant certification
• Professional membership association
• Continuing dental education
• Dental assisting credentials
• Dental workforce advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from dental assistants and related professionals. Full year membership is $142.38 and student membership is $45.20, both including HST.
2. Certification Services: One-time certification fee of $75.00 and exam fee of $125.00 for members seeking certification. Additional fees for letters of standing at $25.00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ODAA is the certifying body and membership association for Ontario Dental Assistants, administering five credential programs (CDA, CDA II, CDR, CDTC, CPDA) for more than 6,000 members. Annual membership services are paired with continuing education, a Quality Assurance Program for course approval, a public Member Registry, a free job board for Ontario dentists, annual wage guidance, and a student bursary program, all delivered through its website and head office in London, Ontario.

Product overview

The Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA) operates as a professional membership association rather than a software product company. Its core offerings center on certification programs for dental assistants (CDA, CDA II, CDR, CDTC, CPDA), membership services for over 6,000 members, and professional development through continuing education. The association also provides a public Member Registry for credential verification, a free job posting service for dentists, annual wage guidance, a Quality Assurance Program for educational institutions, and a student bursary program. These services are delivered through the association's website as informational and administrative tools rather than as integrated software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ODAA Membership Annual membership association serving Certified Dental Assistants, Certified Dental Receptionists, and Certified Dental Treatment Coordinators; over 6,000 Ontario Dental Assistants currently belong to the ODAA.
• ODAA Certification Programs Certification for dental assistants covering five designations: Certified Dental Assistant Level I (CDA), Certified Dental Assistant Level II (CDA II), Certified Dental Receptionist (CDR), Certified Dental Treatment Coordinator (CDTC), and Certified Preventive Dental Assistant (CPDA).
• ODAA Continuing Education Home study and online courses for members to maintain certification, supported by the Quality Assurance Program that reviews and approves educational programs for credit.
• ODAA Member Registry Public searchable directory of ODAA members and their certification status, allowing employers, regulators, and the public to verify membership and credentials.
• ODAA Job Board Free job posting service for Ontario dentists to hire certified dental assistants, with optional wage transparency features.
• Ontario Dental Assistant Wage Guide Annual wage recommendations by position and experience level, covering Certified Dental Assistant (Chairside), Certified Dental Assistant II (Intra-oral), Certified Dental Receptionist, and Certified Dental Treatment Coordinator.
• Quality Assurance Program Program for reviewing and approving educational institutions and courses for continuing education credits, using a 4-8 week review process to vet content.
• ODAA Student Bursary Program Four $1,000 annual bursaries awarded to dental assisting students in approved Ontario programs, with application deadlines in May and November.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NDAEB is referenced as the national examining body for dental assistants. ODAA certification is aligned with NDAEB standards, and members must pass NDAEB examinations to obtain certification.
• Ontario Dental AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial dental association providing resources and collaboration on oral health matters affecting Ontario dental assistants.
• Canadian Dental AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dental association providing resources and standards for dental professionals in Canada.
• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RCDSO establishes standards of practice for dental assistants in Ontario. ODAA scope of practice references RCDSO standards.
• Anderson CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnderson College provides complimentary ODAA student memberships to their dental assistant program students as part of their program experience.
• Provincial Dental Assistant AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with provincial associations across Canada including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan for credential recognition.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• British Columbia Dental Assistants Association: Provincial dental assisting association in BC, with similar certification, membership, and advocacy mandate to ODAA but operating in a different province.
• Ordre des assistants dentaires du Québec: Quebec's professional order for dental assistants. Comparable peer organization for the same profession in another Canadian province, with similar certification and advocacy mandate.
• American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA): The US national professional association for dental assistants. Comparable in function (membership, certification advocacy, continuing education) but serves a different national jurisdiction.
• Alberta Dental Assistants Association: Provincial dental assisting association in Alberta, a directly comparable peer with similar member services and certification-related activity in another Canadian jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB): National examining body whose exams ODAA members must pass to certify. Directly comparable in the dental assisting certification ecosystem and a core partner/peer for ODAA's value chain.
• Dental Assisting National Board (DANB): US national certification body for dental assistants. Closely comparable function — credentialing, examinations, and ongoing competency verification — for the same professional role in a different market.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Dental Assistants' Association (CDAA): The national-level counterpart to ODAA, representing dental assistants across Canada. Directly comparable as a membership and advocacy body for the same professional constituency, but operating at a broader geographic scope.
• College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario: Ontario's regulatory body for dental hygienists. Comparable as a healthcare professional regulator operating in the same Ontario oral health ecosystem, with similar membership/registry and standards functions.
• Ontario Dental Association (ODA): Provincial association representing Ontario dentists. A peer in the Ontario oral health professional association space, with overlapping membership services and continuing education offerings, though serving dentists rather than assistants.

Others

• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO): Ontario's dental regulatory body that establishes scope of practice standards ODAA references. A peer/partner in the same Ontario oral health regulatory ecosystem rather than a direct membership competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/yourODAA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-dental-assistants-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario Dental Assistants Association