____________________________________________________ DCA02CA The California Dental Practice Act
material prior to coronal polishing. 16. Removal of excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth under orthodontic treatment by means of an ultrasonic scaler. (Evidence of satisfactory comple- tion of a board-approved course of instruction or equivalent instruction in an approved RDA program in this function must be submitted to the board prior to any performance thereof.) (e) Settings. Registered dental assistants may undertake the duties authorized by this section in a treatment facility under the jurisdiction and control of the supervising licensed dentist, or in an equivalent facility approved by the board. Registered Dental Assistants in Extended Functions Registered dental assistants in extended functions (RDAEFs) are Board-licensed dental professionals who have a greater breadth of permitted duties than RDAs. Specifics regarding these allowed duties can be found in CCR Section 1087 [28]. CCR Section 1087. RDAEF Duties and Settings. (a) Unless specifically so provided by regulation, the prohibi- tions contained in Section 1085 apply to RDAEFs. (b) An RDAEF may perform all duties assigned to dental assistants and registered dental assistants. (c) An RDAEF may perform the procedures set forth below under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist when done so pursuant to the order, control and full profes- sional responsibility of the supervising dentist. Such pro- cedures shall be checked and approved by the supervising dentist prior to dismissal of the patient from the office of said dentist. 1. Cord retraction of gingivae for impression proce- dures; 2. Take impressions for cast restorations; 3. Take impressions for space maintainers, orthodontic appliances, and occlusal guards; 4. Prepare enamel by etching for bonding; 5. Formulate indirect patterns for endodontic post and core castings; 6. Fit trial endodontic filling points; 7. Apply pit and fissure sealants; 8. Remove excess cement from subgingival tooth sur- faces with a hand instrument; 9. Apply etchant for bonding restorative materials. (d) Settings. Registered dental assistants in extended func- tions may undertake the duties authorized by this section in a treatment facility under the jurisdiction and control of the supervising licensed dentist, or in an equivalent facility approved by the board.
In addition to the duties outlined in CCR section 1087, sec- tion 1753.5 of the CBPC states that RDAEFs may conduct preliminary evaluation of the patient’s oral health, including, but not limited to, charting, intraoral and extra-oral evaluation of soft tissue, classifying occlusion, and myofunctional evalu- ation, and perform oral health assessments in school-based, community health project settings under the direction of a dentist, registered dental hygienist, or registered dental hygien- ist in alternative practice [1]. RDAEFs may hold an orthodontic assistant permit, a dental sedation assistant permit, or both. DENTAL HYGIENISTS Registered dental hygienists (RDHs), registered dental hygien- ists in extended functions (RDHEFs), and registered dental hygienists in alternative practice (RDHAPs) are Board-licensed occupations administered by the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, and the California Dental Practice Act contains the main body of laws and regulations that govern their practice. The Dental Hygiene Committee of California was created by the Board and consists of seven governor-appointed positions: two public members, four dental hygienists, and one practicing dentist; in addition, there are two public members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly, respectively [20]. Responsibilities of the Dental Hygiene Committee include adopting regulations; issuing, reviewing, and revoking licenses; developing and administering examinations; determining fees; and updating continuing edu- cation requirements for all dental hygiene licensure categories. The Act contains specific information regarding the permitted duties and settings of RDH practice (CCR Section 1088), RDHEF practice (CCR Section 1089), and RDHAP practice (CCR Section 1090) [28]. Additional laws and regulations pertaining specifically to dental hygiene practice are located in CBPC Sections 1900–1966.6. These sections should be periodically reviewed to ensure self-compliance with the Act.
Registered Dental Hygienists CCR Section 1088. RDH Duties and Settings.
(a) Unless specifically so provided by regulation, the prohibi- tion contained in Section 1085(a), subsections (1) through (8) of these regulations shall apply to duties performed by a registered dental hygienist. (b) A registered dental hygienist may perform all duties assigned to dental assistants and registered dental assis- tants, under the supervision of a licensed dentist as specified in these regulations. (c) Under general supervision, a registered dental hygienist may perform the following duties in addition to those provided by Section 1760(b) of the Code: 1. Root planing; 2. Polish and contour restorations; 3. Oral exfoliative cytology; 4. Apply pit and fissure sealants;
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