Proposed California Bill Would Make Changes to Dental Practice Act

Legislation AB 1519 is moving forward in the California State Legislature that, if enacted, would extend the authority of the Dental Board of California through 2024, and make several changes to the state’s Dental Practice Act.

According to the American Dental Education Association, some of the most significant changes AB 1519 would enact are:

• The bill would require foreign dental schools to complete the international consultative and accreditation process with the Commission on Dental Accreditation or a comparable accrediting body approved by the Board. The bill also requires all foreign dental schools already approved by the Board to complete the accreditation process by January 1, 2024.
• The bill would require dentists on disciplinary probation to disclose their probation status to patients.
• The bill would require a clause that would target companies that sell self-applied treatment for orthodontia by making “failure to review diagnostic digital or conventional radiographs or other equivalent bone imaging suitable for orthodontia prior to the diagnosis and correction of malpositions of human teeth or use of orthodontic appliances” unprofessional conduct under the act. The bill also requires any entity that provides services through teledentistry to make available the name and state license number of any dentist providing these services.
• The bill would require to practice dentistry an examination that assesses competency in the areas of diagnosis, treatment planning and restorative, endodontic, periodontal and prosthetic dentistry.
• The bill would require applicants for licensure as dental assistants to pass the Registered Dental Assistant Combined Written and Law and Ethics Examination, and require an applicant to provide evidence of successfully completing board-approved courses in infection control, the Dental Practice Act, including the Dental Practice Act for Dental Assisting Jurisprudence, and basic life support.
• The bill would require the Board to report how many other states have recognized licensure by portfolio prior to its next sunset review in 2024.

The bill will now move to the Senate floor for a vote.