What can California dental auxiliaries do and under what supervision?

High-yield California rules for this topic

Auxiliary supervision — the two-level model

• Two levels only (BPC §1741): direct = dentist physically present in the facility and checks the completed work before the patient leaves the chair; general = advance authorization by written treatment plan; "indirect supervision" does not exist in California, and the dentist stays legally responsible for all delegated duties (BPC §1750.1).^{1 2}
• Scope comes from the Table of Permitted Dental Auxiliary Duties (updated effective January 1, 2025), covering eight categories: DA, OA, DSA, RDA, RDAEF (the first five under the Dental Board) and RDH, RDHAP, RDHEF (the three hygiene categories under the Dental Hygiene Board).^{3 4}
• SB 1453 (effective January 1, 2025): a DA must meet the infection-control requirement before any exposure-prone duty, with the old one-year grace period repealed; the former cap of three RDAEFs/RDHEFs per dentist (former BPC §1753.7) is repealed; and a DA may now perform coronal polishing (BPC §1741(g), §1750(f)(4)) after a board-approved course — with the 8-hour infection-control course and current BLS first — under direct supervision only.^{5 6 7 1}
• SB 1311 (urgency statute, effective September 14, 2026): the employer must ensure the DA has completed "an infection control course or examination" under BPC §1755(b) before any exposure-prone basic supportive procedure. The options are the DANB Infection Control examination; a Board-approved 8-hour course from a Board-approved RDA program; a Board-approved 8-hour course under 16 CCR §1070.6 (at least four hours didactic, two laboratory/preclinical, two clinical); or a course of at least four hours didactic plus two hours of video-based laboratory, which may be taken online, from the California Dental Association or a CDA-, ADA CERP- or AGD PACE-approved provider. The timing did not change: the requirement is still met before exposure, not within a year of hire. Also unchanged: the coronal polishing course still requires the Board-approved 8-hour infection-control course and current BLS before enrollment (BPC §1750(f)(4)).^{5 8 6}
• Only remaining numeric cap: no more than five RDAEFs, RDHs, or RDHAPs concurrently supervised in telehealth under BPC §§1753.55, 1910.5, and 1926.05 (BPC §1684.5(d)).⁹

Memorize it: "2-D-G / 5-Tele / IC-first" — only 2 supervision levels (Direct/General); max 5 telehealth-supervised RDAEFs/RDHs/RDHAPs; infection-control course or DANB exam required before any DA exposure.

Footnotes

1. A17 California Business & Professions Code §1741 — direct and general supervision definitions. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1741. ↩ ↩²

2. A18 California Business & Professions Code §1750.1 — dental assistant duties. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1750.1. ↩

3. 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 ↩

4. 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 ↩

5. A38 California Business & Professions Code §1750 — DA definition, BSDP, and the pre-exposure infection-control prerequisite (timing from SB 1453; since SB 1311, eff. 9/14/2026, a course or examination under §1755(b)). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1750. ↩ ↩²

6. A70 16 CCR §1070.6 — Board-approved 8-hour infection-control course content for dental assistants (at least 4 hours didactic, 2 hours laboratory/preclinical, 2 hours clinical). https://www.dbc.ca.gov/formspubs/1070oal1.pdf ↩ ↩²

7. A20 Dental Board of California, SB 1453 alert for anesthesia and sedation changes effective 1/1/2025. https://www.dbc.ca.gov/formspubs/alert_sb_1453.pdf ↩

8. A115 California Business & Professions Code §1755, as amended by SB 1311 (Stats. 2026, ch. 232, urgency statute effective 9/14/2026) — an unlicensed dental assistant not enrolled in a Board-approved RDA or alternative dental assisting program must complete either the Dental Assisting National Board's Infection Control examination or one of three courses: a Board-approved 8-hour course from a Board-approved RDA program; a Board-approved 8-hour course under 16 CCR §1070.6; or a course of at least 4 hours didactic plus at least 2 hours of video-based laboratory instruction (may be delivered online) offered by the California Dental Association or a CDA-, ADA CERP- or AGD PACE-approved provider. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1755. ↩

9. 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. ↩