RDHAP LAW AND ETHICS EXAM
2024-2025
"Dental hygiene board" refers to the Dental Hygiene Board of California.
"Dental board" refers to the Dental Board of California.
"Direct supervision" refers to the supervision of dental operations based on
instructions given by a licensed dentist who must be physically present in the
treatment facility during those procedures.
"General supervision" refers to the monitoring of dental operations based on
instructions provided by a licensed dentist who does not need to be physically
present in the treatment facility during those procedures.
"Oral prophylaxis" refers to preventive and therapeutic dental operations such as
bacterial debridements, thorough removal of calculus, soft deposits, plaque, and
stains, and smoothing of tooth surfaces. The goal of this treatment is to provide an
environment in which the patient can retain healthy hard and soft tissues.
A registered dental hygienist may do the following duties, in addition to those
authorized by Sections 1908 to 1914, inclusive: - ANSWER (a) All functions that a
registered dental assistant can perform.
(b) As of December 31, 2005, all people holding a license as a registered dental
hygienist, registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, or registered dental
hygienist in expanded functions are entitled to execute the duties of a registered
dental assistant as defined in this chapter. All persons issued a license as a
registered dental hygienist, registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, or
registered dental hygienist in extended functions on or after January 1, 2006, must
qualify for and obtain a registered dental assistant license before performing the
duties of a registered dental assistant outlined in this chapter.
,(a) The practice of dental hygiene includes ANSWER - Dental hygiene assessment
and development.
- Development and implementation of a dental hygiene care strategy.
- It also provides oral health education, counseling, and health testing.
Dental hygiene does not include any of the following procedures: ANSWER (1)
Diagnosis and complete treatment planning.
(2) Permanent restorations can be placed, condensed, carved, or removed.
(3) Surgery or cutting on hard and soft tissues, including but not limited to tooth
extraction and soft tissue cutting and suturing.
(4) Prescription medicine.
(5) Providing local or general anesthesia, or oral or parenteral conscious sedation,
except the administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen, either alone or in
combination, or local anesthesia under Section 1909.
A registered dental hygienist may perform the following procedures under the
direct supervision of a licensed dentist after submitting evidence to the dental
hygiene board of satisfactory completion of a course of instruction in the
procedures: - ANSWER (a) Soft-tissue curettage.
(a) The administration of local anesthesia.
(c) The administration of nitrous oxide and oxygen, either separately or in
combination.
,A registered dental hygienist may do the following operations under general
supervision: ANSWER (a) Preventive and therapeutic interventions, such as oral
prophylaxis, scaling, and root planing.
(a) Topical, therapeutic, and subgingival agents are utilized to treat caries and
periodontal disease.
(c) Taking impressions for bleaching trays, as well as applying and activating
agents using nonlaser light-curing devices.
(d) Taking impressions for bleaching trays and placing in-office tooth-whitening
devices.
(a) Without supervision, a qualified dental hygienist may conduct the following
services: educational services, oral health training programs, and oral health
screenings.
A registered dental hygienist must report any screened patients with potential oral
problems to a dentist for a thorough examination, diagnosis, and treatment plan.
A registered dental hygienist may provide, without supervision, dental hygiene
preventive services in addition to oral screenings, including, but not limited to, the
application of fluorides and pit and fissure sealants, in any public health program
created by federal, state, or local law or administered by a federal, state, county, or
local governmental entity, at a sponsored event by a sponsoring entity, or at a
nonprofit organization. A registered dental hygienist who practices as indicated in
this subdivision may submit or allow to be submitted any insurance or third-party
claims for patient services provided as authorized by this article.
Notwithstanding Section 1912, a registered dental hygienist may supply a patient
with fluoride varnish without supervision.
, No one other than a registered dental hygienist, registered dental hygienist in
alternative practice, registered dental hygienist in extended functions, or a licensed
dentist may engage in the practice of dental hygiene or perform dental hygiene
procedures on patients, including, but not limited to, supragingival and subgingival
scaling, dental hygiene assessment, and treatment planning, except for the
following persons: - ANSWER (a) A student enrolled in a dental
A dental assistant functioning in line with the dental board's standards performs the
following procedures: ANSWER (1) Applying nonaerosol and noncaustic topical
chemicals.
(2) Applying topical fluoride.
(3) Making impressions of bleaching trays.
A registered dental assistant who follows the norms of the dental board when
executing the following procedures: - ANSWER (1) Polishing the coronal surfaces
of teeth.
(2) Use bleaching agents.
(3) Activating bleaching agents using a nonlaser light-curing apparatus.
(4) Apply pit and fissure sealants.
A registered dental hygienist in alternative practice may practice, under subdivision
(a) of Section 1907, subdivision (a) of Section 1908, subdivisions (a) and (b) of
Section 1910, Section 1910.5, and Section 1926.05 as an employee of a dentist or
of another registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, as an independent
contractor, as a sole proprietor of an alternative dental hygiene practice, in a
primary care clinic or specialty clinic that is