A new bill, sponsored by the California Dental Association, was proposed with the goal of tackling the state's dental assistant workforce shortage.
The bill, AB 481, aims to expand dental assistants' scope of practice and create new licensure pathways, according to a Feb. 17 news release from the CDA.
Here are five things that the CDA hopes the legislation will accomplish:
1. Simplify and shorten the current requirement of 15 months of on-the-job training to 800 supervised hours, including educational and clinical experience.
2. Change the orthodontic assistant permit to a certificated course without an exam.
3. Formalize interim therapeutic restoration regulations.
4. Allow those who move to California and hold a certified dental assistant certificate to apply for a registered dental assistant license under certain criteria.
5. Clarify existing duties as well as add duties for dental assistants based on evolving technologies.