Licensure, Registration, and Scope of Practice
What you must know
The Dental Board of California licenses dentists, registered dental assistants (RDA), extended-function assistants (RDAEF, RDAEF2), and dental hygienists, and it issues permits such as the orthodontic assistant and dental sedation assistant permits. Candidates must be able to match each task to the correct provider category AND the correct supervision level - the two questions examiners love to combine. Direct supervision means the dentist has examined the patient, diagnosed, authorized the procedure, and is physically present in the office and available; general supervision means the dentist has authorized the procedure but need not be on the premises. Delegation is never a transfer of responsibility: the dentist remains accountable for the auxiliary's acts.
Scope is broad for a general dentist - a GP may perform most procedures, including many that a specialist also performs. A specialty license (one of the recognized specialties) is earned through accredited advanced training and principally governs how the licensee may hold out and advertise. Unlicensed practice, aiding unlicensed practice, and delegating beyond an auxiliary's statutory list are unprofessional conduct.
Traps
- Assuming a hygienist's authority describes an RDA's authority (for example, local anesthesia and nitrous oxide require specific additional licensure).
- Treating general supervision as permission for a task the regulation places under direct supervision.
- Assuming a specialty license is required to perform a procedure, or that a weekend certification expands scope.
- Forgetting that a dentist licensed in another state is not licensed in California.
Rule of thumb
For any who-may-perform-this item, name the provider category, name the supervision level, then check whether the statute allows the task at that level. If either element fails, the answer is no.