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§ 1070.2. Approval of Registered Dental Assistant Educational Programs.

16 CA ADC § 1070.2Barclays Official California Code of Regulations

Barclays California Code of Regulations
Title 16. Professional and Vocational Regulations
Division 10. Dental Board of California
Chapter 3. Dental Auxiliaries
Article 2. Educational Programs
16 CCR § 1070.2
§ 1070.2. Approval of Registered Dental Assistant Educational Programs.
Currentness
(a) All Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) programs in California shall apply for and receive Board approval prior to operation.
(b) The Board may, in lieu of conducting its own investigation, accept the findings of any commission or accreditation agency approved by the Board and adopt those findings as its own. All programs accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (Commission) shall submit to the Board after each site visit a copy of the final report of the Commission's findings within 30 days of the final report issuance. New programs approved by the Commission shall apply to the Board and shall submit proof of Provisional Approval status by the Commission, a copy of the institutional self study, and applications for Radiation Safety, Coronal Polish, Pit and Fissure Sealants and any other courses required of an RDA educational program. Acceptance of the Commission's or any accrediting agencies' findings is at the discretion of the Board and does not prohibit the Board from exercising its right to site-evaluate a program.
(c) If the program is granted the status of “Approved with Reporting Requirements” from the Commission, the program shall submit to the Board copies of any and all correspondence received from or submitted to the Commission until such time as the status of “Approval without Reporting Requirements” is granted. Additionally, if the program withdraws from accredited status by the Commission, the program shall notify the Board, in writing, of such status within 30 days.
(d) In order for a registered dental assistant program to secure and maintain approval by the Board, it shall meet the requirements of Sections 1070 and 1070.1 and the requirements contained in this Section.
(1) A program shall notify the Board in writing if it wishes to increase the maximum student enrollment for which it is approved and shall provide documentation to the Board to demonstrate compliance with Section 1070 and Section 1070.1 to reapprove the program for the increased enrollment prior to accepting additional students.
(2) Programs shall establish and maintain an advisory committee whose membership provides for equal representation of dentists and dental assistants, all currently licensed by the Board. In addition, consideration shall be given to a student, a recent graduate or a public representative to serve on the advisory committee. The advisory committee shall meet at least once each academic year with the program director, faculty, and appropriate institutional personnel to monitor the ongoing quality and performance of the program and to receive advice and assistance from the committee.
(3) Adequate provision for the supervision and operation of the program shall be made. In addition to the requirements of Sections 1070 and 1070.1, the following requirements shall be met:
(A) By January 1, 2012, each faculty member shall have completed a course or certification program in educational methodology of at least 30 hours, unless he or she holds any one of the following: a postgraduate degree in education, a Ryan Designated Subjects Vocational Education Teaching Credential, a Standard Designated Subjects Teaching Credential, or a Community College Teaching Credential. Each faculty member employed after January 1, 2012, shall complete a course or certification program in educational methodology within six months of employment. The program director or designated administrator shall be responsible to obtain and maintain records of each faculty member showing evidence of having met this requirement.
(B) The program director shall have teaching responsibilities that are less than those of a full-time faculty member. He or she shall actively participate in and be responsible for the administration of the program including the following:
(i) Participating in budget preparation and fiscal administration, curriculum development and coordination, determination of teaching assignments, supervision and evaluation of faculty, establishment of criteria and procedures, design and operation of program facilities, and selection of extramural facilities and coordination of instruction in those facilities.
(ii) Holding periodic staff meetings to provide for subject matter review, instructional calibration, curriculum evaluation, and coordinating activities of full-time, part-time, and volunteer faculty or instructional staff.
(iii) Maintaining copies of minutes of all advisory committee and staff meetings for not less than five years.
(C) The owner or school administrator shall be responsible for the compliance of the program director with the provisions of this Section and Sections 1070 and 1070.1.
(4) The program shall have sufficient financial resources available to support the program and to comply with this Section. If the program or school requires approval by any other governmental agency, that approval shall be obtained prior to application to the Board for approval and shall be maintained at all times. The failure to maintain that approval shall result in the automatic withdrawal of Board approval of the program.
(5) The program shall be of sufficient duration for the student to develop minimum competence in performing dental assistant and registered dental assistant duties, but in no event less than 800 hours, including at least 275 hours of didactic instruction, at least 260 hours of combined laboratory or preclinical instruction conducted in the program's facilities under the direct supervision of program faculty or instructional staff, and the remaining hours utilized in clinical instruction in extramural dental facilities. No more than 20 hours of instruction shall be devoted to clerical, administrative, practice management, or similar duties. Programs whose demonstrated total hours exceed 800 and who meet all the instructional requirements in this Section, may utilize the additional instructional hours as deemed appropriate for program success. To maintain approval, programs approved prior to the effective date of these regulations shall submit to the Board a completed “Notice of Compliance with New Requirements for Registered Dental Assistant Educational Programs (New 9/10 )”, hereby incorporated by reference, within ninety (90) days of the effective date of these regulations.
(6) In addition to the requirements of Section 1070 with regard to extramural instruction:
(A) No more than 25 percent of extramural clinical instruction shall take place in a specialty dental practice.
(B) Program faculty shall visit each extramural dental facility at least once every ten clinical days.
(7) Facilities and class scheduling shall provide each student with sufficient opportunity, with instructor supervision, to develop minimum competency in all duties that registered dental assistants are authorized to perform. The following requirements are in addition to those contained in Sections 1070 and 1070.1:
(A) The following are minimum requirements for equipment and armamentaria during laboratory, preclinical, and clinical sessions as appropriate to each type of session: amalgamator, model trimmers in the ratio of one for every seven students, dental rotary equipment in the ratio of one for every three students, vibrators in the ratio of one for every three students, light curing devices in the ratio of one for every operatory, functional typodonts and bench mounts in the ratio of one for every two students, functional orthodontically banded typodonts in the ratio of one for every four students, facebows in the ratio of one for every ten students, automated blood pressure device, EKG machine, pulse oximeters in the ratio of one for every ten students, capnograph or simulated device, one set of hand instruments in the ratio of one set for every two students for each procedure, respiration device, camera for intraoral use, camera for extraoral use, CAD machine or simulated device, caries detection device in the ratio of one for every ten students, and all other equipment and armamentaria required to teach dental assistant and registered dental assistant duties. With the exception of a CAD machine and patient monitoring equipment specific to EKG machine, pulse oximeter, and capnograph, the program shall own the necessary equipment and have it readily available upon inspection. Patient monitoring equipment owned by the institution and utilized by more than one program within the institution premises is acceptable and may be used by the RDA program as needed for instruction. Instruction by a licensed healthcare provider is acceptable. In the event instruction in patient monitoring procedures and use of the CAD machine is provided by an outside provider, the RDA program shall not be required to have available or own patient monitoring equipment or CAD machine.
(B) Instruments must be provided to accommodate students needs in learning to identify, exchange, and prepare procedural trays and assist in procedures as they relate to general and specialty dentistry.
(C) Provision shall be made for reasonable access to current and diverse dental and medical reference texts, current journals, audiovisual materials, and other necessary resources. Library holdings, which may include, in total or in part, access through the Internet, shall include materials relating to all subject areas of the program curriculum.
(D) Emergency materials shall include, at a minimum, an oxygen tank that is readily available and functional. Medical materials for treating patients with life-threatening conditions shall be available for instruction and accessible to the operatories. Facilities that do not treat patients shall maintain a working model of a kit of such emergency materials for instructional purposes.
(8) Curriculum documentation shall be reviewed annually and revised, as needed, to reflect new concepts and techniques. This content must be integrated and of sufficient depth, scope, sequence of instruction, quality and emphasis to ensure achievement of the curriculum's defined competencies.
(A) Programs that admit students in phases, including modular or open-entry programs, shall provide, at minimum, basic instruction in tooth anatomy, tooth numbering, general program guidelines, basic chairside skills, emergency and safety precautions, infection control, and sterilization protocols associated with and required for patient treatment. Such instruction shall occur prior to any other program content and prior to performances or activities involving patients.
(B) All programs shall provide students with additional instruction in the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Regulations (Cal. Code Regs., Title 8, Sections 330-344.85) and the Board's Minimum Standards for Infection Control (Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1005) prior to the student's performance of procedures on patients.
(9) In addition to the requirements of Sections 1070 and 1070.1 and subdivisions (b)(11) and (b)(12) of this Section, programs shall include the following content:
(A) Instruction in radiation safety that meets all of the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Sections 1014 and 1014.1.
(B) Instruction in coronal polishing that meets all of the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.4.
(C) Instruction in the application of Pit and Fissure Sealants that meets all of the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.3.
(D) A course in basic life support provided by an instructor approved by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, or any other course approved by the Board as equivalent. The program may require that the student complete this course as a prerequisite to program enrollment, or that the student provide evidence of having completed the course from another provider.
(E) Instruction in infection control that meets all of the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.6.
(F) Instruction in the Dental Practice Act that includes the content specified in Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1016 governing Dental Practice Act continuing education courses.
(10) A program that desires to provide instruction in the following areas shall apply separately for approval to provide the following courses:
(A) A course in the removal of excess cement with an ultrasonic scaler, that shall meet the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.5.
(B) An orthodontic assistant permit course that shall meet the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.7, except that a program shall not be required to obtain separate approval to teach the duties of placing ligature ties and archwires, removing orthodontic bands, and removing excess cement from surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument, and shall be no less than 51 hours, including at least 9 hours of didactic instruction, at least 22 hours of laboratory instruction, and at least 20 hours of clinical instruction.
(C) A dental sedation assistant permit course that shall meet the requirements of Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.8.
(D) A Registered Dental Assisting educational program that includes instructional content for either the orthodontic assistant permit or dental sedation assistant permit, or both, shall provide a certificate or certificates of completion to the graduate. The certificate holder shall be deemed an eligible candidate for the permit examination process as having met all educational requirements for the permit examination.
(11) General didactic instruction shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(A) Principles of general anatomy, physiology, oral embryology, tooth histology, and head-neck anatomy.
(B) Principles of conditions related to and including oral pathology, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, prosthodontics, and esthetic dentistry.
(C) Instruction in the Dental Practice Act that includes the content specified in Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1016, as well as principles of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security standards, risk management, and professional codes of ethical behavior.
(D) Principles of infection control, waste management, and hazardous communication requirements in compliance with the Board's Minimum Standards for Infection Control (Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1005) and other federal, state, and local requirements governing infection control. Instruction in infection control shall meet the education requirements set forth in Section 1070.6(e).
(E) Principles related to pharmacology and biomedical sciences including nutrition and microbiology.
(F) Principles of medical-dental emergencies and first aid management.
(G) Principles of the treatment planning process including medical health history data collection, patient and staff confidentiality, and charting.
(H) Principles of record classifications including management, storage, and retention protocol for all dental records including legal and ethical issues involving patient records.
(I) Principles and protocols of special needs patient management, the psychology and management of dental patients, and overall interpersonal relationships.
(J) Principles, protocols, and armamentaria associated with all dental assisting chairside procedures.
(K) Principles, protocols, manipulation, use, and armamentaria for contemporary dental materials used in general and specialty dentistry.
(L) Principles and protocols for oral hygiene preventative methods including, plaque identification, toothbrushing and flossing techniques, and nutrition.
(M) Principles, protocols, armamentaria, and procedures associated with operative and specialty dentistry.
(N) Principles, protocols, armamentaria, and procedures for each duty that dental assistants and registered dental assistants are allowed to perform.
(O) All content for instruction in radiation safety as set forth in Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1014.1.
(P) All content for instruction in coronal polishing as set forth in Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.4.
(Q) All content for instruction in the application of Pit and Fissure Sealants as set forth in Cal. Code Regs., Title 16, Section 1070.3.
(12) Laboratory and clinical instruction shall be of sufficient duration and content for each student to achieve minimum competence in the performance of each procedure that dental assistant and registered dental assistant is authorized to perform.
(13) Each student shall pass a written examination that reflects the curriculum content, which may be administered at intervals throughout the course as determined by the course director.

Credits

Note: Authority cited: Section 1614, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Section 1752.1, 1752.4 and 1752.6, Business and Professions Code.
History
1. Renumbering of former section 1070.1 to section 1070.2, including amendment of section and Note, filed 4-30-2003; operative 5-30-2003 (Register 2003, No. 18).
2. Repealer and new section heading, section and Note filed 10-12-2011; operative 11-11-2011 (Register 2011, No. 41).
This database is current through 5/10/24 Register 2024, No. 19.
Cal. Admin. Code tit. 16, § 1070.2, 16 CA ADC § 1070.2
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