CALIFORNIA RDH LAW AND ETHICS FINAL
PAPER 2026 FULL STUDY GUIDE
◉ General Supervision. Answer: Dentist gives instructions but does
not have to be present in the building when treatment is being
completed
◉ Oral prophylasis. Answer: preventive and therapeutic dental
procedures of bacterial debridement both supra and subgingivally of
calculus, soft deposits, and plaque, plus smoothing of tooth surfaces
◉ RDH Duties. Answer: DH assessment, Develop plan and
implement DH care plan, oral hygiene exam, counseling, and health
screenings, local anesthesia, NO2, and soft tissue curettage, apply
non aerosol, non caustic topical agents, and duties of RDA if licensed
before January 2006
◉ Practice of RDH do not include. Answer: Diagnosis and
comprehensive treatment planning, placing, condensing, carving, or
removal of permanent restorations, surgery or cutting on hard or
soft tissues including but not limited to the removal of teeth and the
cutting and suturing of soft tissue, prescribing medications, and
administering local or general anesthesia or oral or parenteral
conscious sedation except administer NO2
, ◉ RDH functions under General Supervision. Answer: Prophy, SRP,
topical, therapeutic, and subgingival agents to control caries and
perio, impressions for bleaching trays, applying/activating
whitening agents with non laser, light curing devices, any duty that
does not require direct supervision unless it would give rise to
emergency situation
◉ RDH functions with no supervision. Answer: Educational services,
Oral health training programs, Oral health screenings, Refer any
screened patients to dentist for comp exam,
◉ RDH License validity. Answer: Expires every 2 years at midnight
on last day of birth month.
◉ Change of address. Answer: Report changes within 30 days
◉ Change of Name. Answer: Report changes within 10 days
◉ Continue education for RDH. Answer: 25 units of CE every 2 years
and is not required on first renewal. Max number of CE 8 in one day.
12 CE can be correspondence / online. 2 CE must be infection
control, 2 most be in CA law. Retain receipts for up to 4 years for
audit purposes
PAPER 2026 FULL STUDY GUIDE
◉ General Supervision. Answer: Dentist gives instructions but does
not have to be present in the building when treatment is being
completed
◉ Oral prophylasis. Answer: preventive and therapeutic dental
procedures of bacterial debridement both supra and subgingivally of
calculus, soft deposits, and plaque, plus smoothing of tooth surfaces
◉ RDH Duties. Answer: DH assessment, Develop plan and
implement DH care plan, oral hygiene exam, counseling, and health
screenings, local anesthesia, NO2, and soft tissue curettage, apply
non aerosol, non caustic topical agents, and duties of RDA if licensed
before January 2006
◉ Practice of RDH do not include. Answer: Diagnosis and
comprehensive treatment planning, placing, condensing, carving, or
removal of permanent restorations, surgery or cutting on hard or
soft tissues including but not limited to the removal of teeth and the
cutting and suturing of soft tissue, prescribing medications, and
administering local or general anesthesia or oral or parenteral
conscious sedation except administer NO2
, ◉ RDH functions under General Supervision. Answer: Prophy, SRP,
topical, therapeutic, and subgingival agents to control caries and
perio, impressions for bleaching trays, applying/activating
whitening agents with non laser, light curing devices, any duty that
does not require direct supervision unless it would give rise to
emergency situation
◉ RDH functions with no supervision. Answer: Educational services,
Oral health training programs, Oral health screenings, Refer any
screened patients to dentist for comp exam,
◉ RDH License validity. Answer: Expires every 2 years at midnight
on last day of birth month.
◉ Change of address. Answer: Report changes within 30 days
◉ Change of Name. Answer: Report changes within 10 days
◉ Continue education for RDH. Answer: 25 units of CE every 2 years
and is not required on first renewal. Max number of CE 8 in one day.
12 CE can be correspondence / online. 2 CE must be infection
control, 2 most be in CA law. Retain receipts for up to 4 years for
audit purposes
