Law and Ethics
Committee: - ANSmeans the Dental Hygiene Committee of California
Dental Board - ANSmeans the Dental Board of California
Direct supervision - ANSmeans the supervision of dental procedures based on instructions
given by a licensed dentist who is required to be physically present in the ttx facility during the
performance of those procedures
General Supervision - ANSmeans the supervision of dental procedures based on instructions
given by a licensed dentist who is not required to be physically present in the treatment facility
during the performance of those procedures
Oral Prophylaxis - ANSmeans preventive and therapeutic dental procedures that include
bacterial debridements with complete removal, supra and subgingivally, of calculus, soft
deposits, plaque and stains, and the smoothing of tooth surfaces. The objective of this treatment
is to create an environment in which the patient can maintain healthy hard and soft tissues.
• BPC 1907: RDH Duties - ANS•All functions that may be performed by a registered dental
assistant
•Authorized to perform the duties of RDA as of December 31, 2005
•Dental hygiene assessment and development, planning and implementation of a dental
hygiene care plan
•Oral health education, counseling, and health screening
•Use of any material or device approved for use in the performance of a service or procedure
within his or her scope of practice
• BPC 1908: Limitations of RDH functions - ANS•diagnosis and comprehensive ttx planning
•placing, condensing, carving or removal of permanent restorations
•surgery or cutting on hard and soft tissue including, but not limited to, the removal of teeth and
the cutting and suturing of soft tissue
•prescribing medication
•administering local or general anesthesia or oral or parenteral conscious sedation, except for
the administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen, whether administered alone or in combination
with each other, or local anesthesia pursuant to Section
• BPC 1909: Direct Supervision - ANS•Allowed to perform the following under direct supervision
of a licensed dentist:
1. soft -tissue curettage,
2. administration of local anesthesia,
3. administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen
, • BPC 1910: General Supervision - ANS•Allowed to perform the following under general
supervision:
•Preventive and therapeutic interventions, including oral prophylaxis, scaling, and root planning
•Application of topical therapeutic and subgingival agents used for the control of caries and PD
•Taking impressions for bleaching trays and application and activation of agents with non-laser,
light-curing devices
•Taking of impressions for bleaching trays and placement of in-office, tooth-whitening devices
•BPC 1911: Procedures without supervision: - ANS•Educational services, oral health training
programs, and oral health screenings
•RDH should refer any screened pt with possible oral abnormalities to dentist for a
comprehensive examination, diagnosis, and ttx plan
•Dental hygiene preventive services in addition to oral screenings, including, but not limited to
the application of fluorides and pit and fissure sealants
• BPC 1915: Authorized Persons
-No other person other than a RDH, RDHAP, RDHEF or a licensed dentist may engage in the
practice of DH or perform DH procedures on patients, except for the following - ANS•Students
enrolled in a dental or DH school who is performing procedures as part of the regular curriculum
of that program under the supervision of the faculty of that program
•DA acting in accordance with the rules of the dental board (applying topical agents, applying
topical fluoride, impressions for bleaching trays)
•RDA acting in accordance with the rules of the dental board (polishing the coronal surfaces of
teeth, applying bleaching agents, activating bleaching agents with a non-laser light-curing
device, applying pit and fissure sealants
• BPC 1934: Address and name change - ANS•A licensee who changes his or her physical
address of record or email address shall notify the committee within 30 days of the change
•A licensee who changes his or her legal name shall provide the committee with documentation
of the change within 10 days
• BPC 1935: License Expirations - ANS• If not renewed, a license issued under the provisions of
this article, unless specifically excepted, expired at 12 midnight on the last day of the month of
the legal birth date of the licensee during the second year of a two-year term.
• BPC 496: - ANS• A board may deny, suspend, revoke, or otherwise restrict a license on the
ground that an applicant or licensee has violated Section 123 pertaining to subversion of
licensing examinations
• BPC 1949: - ANS• A licensee may have his or her license revoked or suspended, or may be
reprimanded or placed on probation by the committee for unprofessional conduct,
incompetence, gross negligence, repeated acts of negligence in his or her profession, receiving
a license by mistake, or for any other cause applicable to the licentiate provided in this article.
Committee: - ANSmeans the Dental Hygiene Committee of California
Dental Board - ANSmeans the Dental Board of California
Direct supervision - ANSmeans the supervision of dental procedures based on instructions
given by a licensed dentist who is required to be physically present in the ttx facility during the
performance of those procedures
General Supervision - ANSmeans the supervision of dental procedures based on instructions
given by a licensed dentist who is not required to be physically present in the treatment facility
during the performance of those procedures
Oral Prophylaxis - ANSmeans preventive and therapeutic dental procedures that include
bacterial debridements with complete removal, supra and subgingivally, of calculus, soft
deposits, plaque and stains, and the smoothing of tooth surfaces. The objective of this treatment
is to create an environment in which the patient can maintain healthy hard and soft tissues.
• BPC 1907: RDH Duties - ANS•All functions that may be performed by a registered dental
assistant
•Authorized to perform the duties of RDA as of December 31, 2005
•Dental hygiene assessment and development, planning and implementation of a dental
hygiene care plan
•Oral health education, counseling, and health screening
•Use of any material or device approved for use in the performance of a service or procedure
within his or her scope of practice
• BPC 1908: Limitations of RDH functions - ANS•diagnosis and comprehensive ttx planning
•placing, condensing, carving or removal of permanent restorations
•surgery or cutting on hard and soft tissue including, but not limited to, the removal of teeth and
the cutting and suturing of soft tissue
•prescribing medication
•administering local or general anesthesia or oral or parenteral conscious sedation, except for
the administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen, whether administered alone or in combination
with each other, or local anesthesia pursuant to Section
• BPC 1909: Direct Supervision - ANS•Allowed to perform the following under direct supervision
of a licensed dentist:
1. soft -tissue curettage,
2. administration of local anesthesia,
3. administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen
, • BPC 1910: General Supervision - ANS•Allowed to perform the following under general
supervision:
•Preventive and therapeutic interventions, including oral prophylaxis, scaling, and root planning
•Application of topical therapeutic and subgingival agents used for the control of caries and PD
•Taking impressions for bleaching trays and application and activation of agents with non-laser,
light-curing devices
•Taking of impressions for bleaching trays and placement of in-office, tooth-whitening devices
•BPC 1911: Procedures without supervision: - ANS•Educational services, oral health training
programs, and oral health screenings
•RDH should refer any screened pt with possible oral abnormalities to dentist for a
comprehensive examination, diagnosis, and ttx plan
•Dental hygiene preventive services in addition to oral screenings, including, but not limited to
the application of fluorides and pit and fissure sealants
• BPC 1915: Authorized Persons
-No other person other than a RDH, RDHAP, RDHEF or a licensed dentist may engage in the
practice of DH or perform DH procedures on patients, except for the following - ANS•Students
enrolled in a dental or DH school who is performing procedures as part of the regular curriculum
of that program under the supervision of the faculty of that program
•DA acting in accordance with the rules of the dental board (applying topical agents, applying
topical fluoride, impressions for bleaching trays)
•RDA acting in accordance with the rules of the dental board (polishing the coronal surfaces of
teeth, applying bleaching agents, activating bleaching agents with a non-laser light-curing
device, applying pit and fissure sealants
• BPC 1934: Address and name change - ANS•A licensee who changes his or her physical
address of record or email address shall notify the committee within 30 days of the change
•A licensee who changes his or her legal name shall provide the committee with documentation
of the change within 10 days
• BPC 1935: License Expirations - ANS• If not renewed, a license issued under the provisions of
this article, unless specifically excepted, expired at 12 midnight on the last day of the month of
the legal birth date of the licensee during the second year of a two-year term.
• BPC 496: - ANS• A board may deny, suspend, revoke, or otherwise restrict a license on the
ground that an applicant or licensee has violated Section 123 pertaining to subversion of
licensing examinations
• BPC 1949: - ANS• A licensee may have his or her license revoked or suspended, or may be
reprimanded or placed on probation by the committee for unprofessional conduct,
incompetence, gross negligence, repeated acts of negligence in his or her profession, receiving
a license by mistake, or for any other cause applicable to the licentiate provided in this article.
