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 complete the Board-approved 8-hour infection-control course (16 CCR §1070.6 — at least four hours didactic, at least two hours laboratory/preclinical, at least two hours clinical) before any exposure-prone duty, with the old one-year grace period repealed; the former cap of three RDAEFs/RDHEFs per dentist (former BPC §1753.7) is repealed; and a DA may now perform coronal polishing (BPC §1741(g), §1750(f)(4)) after a board-approved course — with the 8-hour infection-control course and current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}
• 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)).⁸

Memorize it: "2-D-G / 5-Tele / 8-IC" — only 2 supervision levels (Direct/General); max 5 telehealth-supervised RDAEFs/RDHs/RDHAPs; 8-hour Infection Control course 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 SB 1453 8-hour infection-control prerequisite. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1750. ↩

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 ↩

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. 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. ↩