California RDH Law and Ethics exam
UPDATED Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Direct Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER - Dentist gives instructions and physically
present in building when treatment is being completed
General Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER - Dentist gives instructions but does not have
to be present in the building when treatment is being completed
Oral prophylasis - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Educational services, Oral
health training programs, Oral health screenings, Refer any screened patients to dentist for comp
exam,
, RDH License validity - CORRECT ANSWER - Expires every 2 years at midnight on last
day of birth month.
Change of address - CORRECT ANSWER - Report changes within 30 days
Change of Name - CORRECT ANSWER - Report changes within 10 days
Continue education for RDH - CORRECT 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
Instruments that penetrate oral tissues - CORRECT ANSWER - Critical instruments
Instruments that contact but do not penetrate oral tissues - CORRECT ANSWER - semi-
critical instruments
Instruments that only contact skin - CORRECT ANSWER - non-critical instruments
Low level disinfectants kills - CORRECT ANSWER - killing of some fungi and viruses
but does not inactivate TB
Intermediate level disinfectants kills - CORRECT ANSWER - killing most fungi and
viruses and inactivates TB
High level disinfectant kills - CORRECT ANSWER - all fungi and viruses except spores
Sterilization kills - CORRECT ANSWER - all fungi and viruses including spores
UPDATED Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Direct Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER - Dentist gives instructions and physically
present in building when treatment is being completed
General Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER - Dentist gives instructions but does not have
to be present in the building when treatment is being completed
Oral prophylasis - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Educational services, Oral
health training programs, Oral health screenings, Refer any screened patients to dentist for comp
exam,
, RDH License validity - CORRECT ANSWER - Expires every 2 years at midnight on last
day of birth month.
Change of address - CORRECT ANSWER - Report changes within 30 days
Change of Name - CORRECT ANSWER - Report changes within 10 days
Continue education for RDH - CORRECT 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
Instruments that penetrate oral tissues - CORRECT ANSWER - Critical instruments
Instruments that contact but do not penetrate oral tissues - CORRECT ANSWER - semi-
critical instruments
Instruments that only contact skin - CORRECT ANSWER - non-critical instruments
Low level disinfectants kills - CORRECT ANSWER - killing of some fungi and viruses
but does not inactivate TB
Intermediate level disinfectants kills - CORRECT ANSWER - killing most fungi and
viruses and inactivates TB
High level disinfectant kills - CORRECT ANSWER - all fungi and viruses except spores
Sterilization kills - CORRECT ANSWER - all fungi and viruses including spores
