The Dental Board of California has paused its consideration of changes to orthodontic assistant training after opposition from several organizations.
Six notes:
1. California currently allows orthodontists to train orthodontic assistants directly in their practices to support workforce flexibility and dental care accessibility.
2. The California dental board was considering moving orthodontic assistant education away from in-office training to an external accreditation model.
3. The California Dental Association said Feb. 4 that this change could impose additional barriers to education without a demonstrated benefit to patient care.
4. The AAO and CAO worked together to highlight the importance of preserving in-office training for orthodontic assistants and avoiding additional barriers to the field.
5. The organizations also stated that any potential changes should align with pathways for registered dental assistants, which allow on-site training without mandatory coursework.
6. The state dental board was scheduled to discuss the proposal Nov. 6 but decided not to move forward with it due to a lack of stakeholder consensus.
