Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not specify an effective date.
New Rules for Dental Hygienist Licenses
This law allows the state to license dental hygienists who pass a specific exam and meet education requirements, even if they graduated from schools not approved by standard groups.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the board to issue licenses to applicants who pass an exam given by the American Board of Dental Examiners and pay required fees.
- Allows people with degrees from nonaccredited dental schools equivalent to a doctorate in dentistry to take this new exam if they meet other requirements.
- Mandates that applicants finish specific coursework on soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia within two years before applying.
- Requires proof of passing specified exams taken within five years before the application date.
- Sets rules for verifying that a degree from an unaccredited school is equivalent to standard dental degrees.
Who It Names or Affects
- People who want to become registered dental hygienists in California
- Graduates of nonaccredited dental schools with doctorate-level degrees
- The Dental Hygiene Board of California
Terms To Know
- Nonaccredited dental school
- A school that teaches dentistry but has not received official approval from standard accrediting groups.
- Soft-tissue curettage
- A procedure to clean and smooth the gums around teeth, required as part of specific coursework.
- Nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia
- The use of laughing gas mixed with oxygen to reduce pain during dental work, included in required coursework.
Limits and Unknowns
- The text does not state when this law will officially start.
- The bill mentions 'certain other requirements' without listing every single detail.
- It is unclear if applicants must live or work in California to qualify under these new rules.