for (a) preventive and therapeutic interventions, including oral prophylaxis, scaling, and root planing; (b) application of topical, therapeutic, and subgingival agents used for the control of caries and periodontal disease; (c) taking impressions for bleaching trays and application and activation of agents with nonlaser, light-curing devices; and (d) taking impressions for bleaching trays and placement of in-office tooth-whitening devices (California Dental Practice Act, 2020i; California Dental Practice Act, 2009e). Initial licensure According to Section 1917 of the Dental Practice Act, the Dental Hygiene Board of California grants initial licensure as a registered dental hygienist to a person who satisfies all of the following requirements: ● Completion of an educational program for RDHs, approved by the Dental Hygiene Board, accredited by CODA, and conducted by a degree-granting, postsecondary institution. ● Within the preceding three years, satisfactory completion of the dental hygiene examination given by WREB or any other clinical or dental hygiene examination approved by the Dental Hygiene Board. ● Satisfactory completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board examination. ● Satisfactory completion of the California Law and Ethics examination as prescribed by the Dental Hygiene Board. ● Submission of a completed application form and all fees required by the Dental Hygiene Board. ● Satisfactory completion of Dental Hygiene Board-approved instruction in gingival soft-tissue curettage, nitrous oxide- oxygen analgesia, and local anesthesia. An RDH who has not taken a clinical examination before the Dental Hygiene Board may obtain licensure by submitting to the Board of Dental Hygiene all of the following: ● Proof of a current license as an RDH issued by another state that is not revoked, suspended, or otherwise restricted. ● Proof that the applicant has been in clinical practice as an RDH or has been a full-time faculty member in an accredited dental hygiene education program for a minimum of 750 hours per year for at least five years preceding the date of his or her application under this section. The clinical practice requirement shall be deemed met if the applicant provides proof of at least three years of clinical practice and commits to completing the remaining two years of clinical practice by filing with the Dental Hygiene Board a copy of a pending contract to practice dental hygiene in any of the following facilities: (a) a licensed primary care facility or a primary care Unless specifically so provided by regulation, an RDHAP may not perform any activity that represents the practice of dentistry or requires the knowledge, skill, and training of a licensed dentist. Under the supervision of a licensed dentist, an RDHAP may perform the duties assigned to RDHs under the same levels of supervision and in the same settings. In addition, an RDHAP may perform these same RDH duties independently and without the supervision of a licensed dentist upon a written prescription for dental hygiene services issued by a dentist or physician and surgeon licensed to practice in California (Cal. Code Regs., 2000b). Under Section 1925 of the Dental Practice Act, an RDHAP may practice as: ● An employee of a dentist. ● An employee of another RDHAP. ● An independent contractor. ● A sole proprietor of an alternative dental hygiene practice. ● An employee of a primary care clinic or specialty clinic that is licensed pursuant to Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code. ● An employee of a clinic owned or operated by a public hospital or health system. Registered dental hygienists in alternative practice Scope of practice
facility deemed exempt from licensure by Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code, or (b) a clinic owned or operated by a public hospital or health system or a clinic owned by a hospital that maintains the primary contract with a county government to fill the county’s role under Section 17000 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. ● Satisfactory performance on a California law and ethics examination and any examination that may be required by the Dental Hygiene Board. ● Proof that the applicant has not been subject to disciplinary action by any state in which he or she is or has been previously licensed. If an applicant has been subject to disciplinary action, the Dental Hygiene Board will review the action to determine if it warrants refusal to issue a license. ● Proof of graduation from a school of dental hygiene accredited by CODA. ● Proof of satisfactory completion of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and of a state or regional clinical licensure examination or any other dental hygiene examination approved by the Dental Hygiene Board. ● Proof that the applicant has not failed the state clinical examination, the WREB examination, or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the Dental Hygiene Board for licensure to practice dental hygiene under this chapter more than once or once within five years prior to the date of his or her application for a license under this section. ● Documentation of completion of a minimum of 25 units of CE earned in the two years preceding application, including completion of any CE requirements imposed by the Dental Hygiene Board on RDHs licensed in this state at the time of application. ● Any other information as specified by the Dental Hygiene Board to the extent that it is required of applicants for licensure by examination under this article. (California Dental Practice Act, 2021c) The Dental Hygiene Board may periodically request verification of compliance with the clinical practice requirement, and may revoke a license if the requirement has not been met (California Dental Practice Act, 2021c). The Dental Hygiene Board provides in the application packet to each out-of-state dental hygienist pursuant to this section the location of dental manpower shortage areas in the state, and any nonprofit clinics, public hospitals, and accredited dental hygiene education programs seeking to contract with licensees for dental hygiene service delivery or training purposes (California Dental Practice Act, 2021c). ● An employee of a clinic owned and operated by a hospital that maintains the primary contract with a county government to fill the county’s role under Section 17000 of the Welfare and Institutions code. ● An employee of a professional corporation under the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act. (California Dental Practice Act, 2021e) An RDHAP may perform his or her duties in residences of the homebound; in schools; residential facilities and other institutions and medical settings to which a residential facility patient has been transferred for outpatient services; and in dental health professional shortage areas, as certified by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (California Dental Practice Act, 2021f). An individual licensed as an RDH, RDHAP, or RDHEF as of December 31, 2005, is authorized to perform the duties of an RDA. However, an individual licensed as an RDH, RDHAP, or RDHEF on or after January 1, 2006, must qualify for and receive licensure as an RDA in order to perform the duties of an RDA (California Dental Practice Act, 2010).
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