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Evergreen California guide

What advertising and public-notice rules apply to California dentists?

Use this guide for California rules on truthful advertising, required office notices, and the difference between marketing language and regulated public disclosures.

Last verified July 18, 2026

Reviewed by Mahtab Mansour, DDS on July 18, 2026

Direct answer

  • California focuses on whether an ad or public-facing statement is false, misleading, or omits a required disclosure.
  • Required office notices, provider-identification duties, and fictitious-name rules can matter just as much as the ad itself.
  • If a stem sounds like marketing, still check whether a separate public-notice or license-display rule is being tested.
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High-yield California rules for this topic

Advertising rules

BPC §651 bans any false, misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive claim: no guaranteed results, superiority claims, or "painless dentistry"; no specialist labels without the recognized advanced training; fee ads must show all material terms, limitations, and timeframes; before-and-after images must identify the procedures actually performed; and a hired model must be labeled as a model.1 2 Before telehealth services, the patient must be able to identify the treating dentist by name, telephone number, practice address, and California license number (BPC §1683.1), and gag clauses waiving Dental Board complaints are void and unenforceable under BPC §1683.2 even if signed.3 4 5 A practice using a fictitious name needs a current Fictitious Name Permit (BPC §1701.5), updated immediately on any name or ownership change.6 Stale-prep warning: §§1683.1 and 1683.2 were added by AB 1519 (Stats. 2019, ch. 865) effective January 1, 2020, so older prep materials miss both rules.4 5

Memorize it: "Truth-Terms-Identity-Tag" — truthful claims, full fee terms, telehealth identity quartet (name/phone/address/license), and fictitious-name permit kept current.

Display and posting requirements

Four postings plus one warning:

  • Licenses: display the current license, permit, or registration of each person practicing where all patients are likely to see it (BPC §1700; SB 1453 replaced the old employee-name posting with this) — failure is a misdemeanor.7
  • Nametags: name and license status in at least 18-point type, unless the license is displayed in the treatment area (BPC §680).8
  • Duties table: the Table of Permitted Dental Auxiliary Duties (updated effective January 1, 2025) posted in a common area (16 CCR §1068).9 10
  • Consumer notice: the BPC §1611.3 complaint notice posted or made accessible to patients.11
  • Prop 65: offices with 10 or more employees (fewer than 10 exempt under HSC §25249.11(b)) must warn under HSC §25249.6 — either a sign at least 5 by 5 inches in 20-point type at public entrances, or the warning inside a signed consent form (27 CCR §§25607.8–25607.9, operative August 30, 2018); this one may live on the consent form instead of the wall.12

Memorize it: "License-Duties-Notice-Tag" — four wall postings: license/permit display (BPC §1700), Auxiliary Duties table (CCR §1068), §1611.3 consumer notice, and an 18-point nametag on every person.

Footnotes

  1. A21 California Business & Professions Code §651 — advertising rules and prohibitions. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=651. ↩

  2. A15 California Business & Professions Code §§1611.5, 1625, 1680, 1684.1, 1684.5, 1763, 1800–1808 (dental corporations); Corporations Code §13400 et seq. (Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act); SB 351 private-equity restrictions. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1680. ↩

  3. A11 California Business & Professions Code §2290.5 — telehealth consent and parity. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=2290.5. ↩

  4. A30 California Business & Professions Code §1683.1 — telehealth provider identification disclosures. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1683.1. ↩ ↩2

  5. A31 California Business & Professions Code §1683.2 — complaint-waiver prohibition (no gag clauses). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1683.2. ↩ ↩2

  6. A41 California Business & Professions Code §1701.5 — fictitious name permit. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1701.5. ↩

  7. A37 California Business & Professions Code §1700 — current license, permit, and registration display; misdemeanor for failure (reinforced by SB 1453). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1700. ↩

  8. A58 California Business & Professions Code §680 — nametag disclosure requirement, 18-point type. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=680. ↩

  9. A5 16 CCR Division 10 — Dental Board of California regulations index (includes §1068 posted-duties-table requirement). https://www.dbc.ca.gov/about_us/lawsregs/index.shtml ↩

  10. A6 Dental Board of California, Table of Permitted Dental Auxiliary Duties, effective 1/1/2025. https://www.dbc.ca.gov/formspubs/pub_permitted_duties.pdf ↩

  11. A16 California Business & Professions Code §1611.3 — notice to consumers. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1611.3. ↩

  12. A72 Proposition 65 dental-care warnings — HSC §§25249.6, 25249.11(b); 27 CCR §§25607.8–25607.9 safe-harbor sign or consent-form method (OEHHA regulations compilation). https://oehha.ca.gov/sites/default/files/media/2025-04/OEHHA%20P65%20Regulations%20042025_1.pdf ↩

Primary sources

A5 Title 16 CCR Division 10 regulations hubA6 Dental Board of California — Table of Dental Auxiliary Duties Delegable by Supervising Dentist, effective 1/1/2025 (DA/OA/DSA/RDA/RDAEF; G/D/CR notation; 16 CCR §1068 posting notice)A11 BPC section 2290.5 telehealth consent and parityA14 Dental Board minimum standards for infection control, 16 CCR section 1005 materialsA15 BPC sections 1680, 1684.1, 1684.5, and related enforcement and patient-of-record provisions; BPC §§1800-1808 (dental corporations); Corporations Code §13400 et seq. (Moscone-Knox)A16 BPC section 1611.3 notice to consumersA17 BPC section 1741 direct and general supervision definitionsA18 BPC section 1750.1 dental assistant dutiesA19 current Board anesthesia and sedation permit frameworkA20 SB 1453 alert for anesthesia and sedation changes effective 1/1/2025A21 BPC section 651 advertising rules and prohibitionsA22 child-abuse reporting under Penal Code section 11166 and related CANRA provisionsA23 elder or dependent-adult reporting under WIC section 15630 and related provisionsA25 BPC section 1611.5 Board inspection powerA30 BPC section 1683.1 telehealth provider identification and disclosuresA31 BPC section 1683.2 complaint-waiver prohibitionA37 BPC section 1700 current license, permit, and registration displayA38 BPC section 1750 dental assistant definition, BSDP, and infection-control prerequisitesA41 BPC section 1701.5 fictitious name permitsA44 Government Code section 12950.1 harassment-prevention trainingA45 CDPH Medical Waste Management Program and MWMA materialsA46 DTSC universal waste guidance including dental amalgamA54 Penal Code section 11160 reporting of assaultive or abusive injuriesA58 BPC section 680 nametag disclosure requirement for dental personnelA70 16 CCR section 1070.6 Board-approved 8-hour dental assistant infection-control course content (at least 4 hours didactic, 2 hours laboratory/preclinical, 2 hours clinical)A71 16 CCR section 1044.5 minimum equipment, oxygen, suction, and emergency-drug standards for sedation and anesthesia permitted facilitiesA72 Proposition 65 dental-care warnings — HSC sections 25249.6 and 25249.11(b); 27 CCR sections 25607.8–25607.9 safe-harbor sign or consent-form method (OEHHA regulations compilation)B3 Cal/OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, Title 8 CCR section 5193B4 Board office-closure practical guidanceB11 Dental Board of California 2018 Sunset Review Report — Board statement that no general law requires dentists to retain records for one specific period, while other program or reimbursement rules may impose retention duties

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Glossary Q&A

What notices and public disclosures must a California dental office post or display?

Questions about signs and public notices usually turn on required consumer notices, provider identification, and license or fictitious-name display rules.