Current California focus
Dentovio keeps attention on California law-and-ethics topics that matter for dentist licensure candidates, including recent changes and common stale-prep traps.
Featured prep
California Dental Law & Ethics Exam Prep
Complete California Dental Law & Ethics Exam prep for dentist licensure candidates: step-by-step lessons, scenario drills, practice questions, a timed 60-question exam, and quick-review materials.
Current review status: Source-cited. Credentialed re-verification pending — 33 of 35 in-scope files carry a current exact-digest sign-off; this material is not represented as reviewer-approved.
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One-time price
$99
Buy once for personal study access. Finish the free diagnostic first and the full prep is $79 instead.
Email support@dentovio.com and a real person replies within one business day — including after a failed attempt.
Access to the study materials is provided for 180 days from the date of purchase.
Included now
7
Law + ethics modules
157
Practice questions
60/60
Timed exam
1
Structured study path
Study in one place
Lessons, questions, scenario drills, the timed exam, and quick-review materials live in the same account so your prep stays organized.
Built for exam decisions
The goal is not just reading more. The goal is practicing the deadlines, process rules, and judgment calls that can decide the exam.
The exam itself
California Dentistry Law & Ethics Examination — the facts.
Who takes it
ADEX, residency, and WREB-pathway applicants
Licensure by credential (BPC §1635.5) is the one exam-exempt pathway.
Total exam cost
$125 + $27.23 per attempt
$125 Board application (once per 2-year window) + $27.23 PSI fee each sitting.
Where
In person at PSI test centers
20 California cities plus 22 out-of-state centers. No remote proctoring.
Passing standard
Criterion-referenced — not 75%
A dentist panel sets the cut score per test form (16 CCR §1031, since July 2022). No fixed percentage.
Recent pass rates
71–78% (FY 2021–23)
Down from 90–95% in FY 2018–20 (Board sunset-review data).
If you fail
Reschedule after 7–10 business days
Pay PSI $27.23 again. No new Board application inside your 2-year window.
Deadlines
2 years to pass; score valid 2 years
Both clocks are set by the Board from application receipt and pass date.
Facts from the free how-to-pass guide (last verified July 2, 2026), sourced to the Dental Board of California's exam page and sunset-review data. The Board publishes no fixed question count or time limit for this exam; the 60-question timed exam above is Dentovio's practice format.
Product coverage
Everything is organized around the exam you need to pass.
Instead of bouncing between PDFs, screenshots, and generic decks, you move through the same major areas tested on the California Dentistry Law & Ethics Examination. The lesson order mirrors the Dental Board's own exam task blocks, so nothing on the blueprint goes uncovered.
Blueprint-aligned law lessons
Ethics modules with practical reasoning
Section question banks with explanations
Scenario drills for mixed fact patterns
A 60-question / 60-minute timed practice exam
Quick-review materials for recent California changes and weak areas
Official exam blueprint
Every task and knowledge statement, in the Board’s own words
This is the structure you see at the test center, transcribed from the Dental Board of California Candidate Information Bulletin. Dentovio answers all 89 knowledge statements across 35 tasks — open a block to see the exact wording and jump to any answer.
Content Area 1. Law
50% of the examLegal obligations: patient confidentiality, records, professional conduct, office operations, scope, consent, telehealth, and prescribing.
1APatient Information17 statements
- T101 Comply with legal requirements regarding the release of patient information.
- K1011 Knowledge of laws related to sharing HIV status of patients.
- K1012 Knowledge of laws related to sharing patient information with guardians.
- K1013 Knowledge of laws related to sharing patient information with financially responsible parties.
- K1014 Knowledge of laws related to sharing patient information with collection agencies.
- K1015 Knowledge of laws related to sharing patient information when records are audited.
- K1016 Knowledge of laws related to sharing patient information when records are subpoenaed.
- K1017 Knowledge of criteria to determine if information is confidential according to HIPAA.
- T102 Comply with legal requirements when documenting dental treatment.
- T103 Comply with legal requirements for storage and disposal of patient records.
- T104 Comply with legal requirements in the event of suspected unauthorized access to patient medical or dental records.
- T105 Respond to requests for records in accordance with legal requirements.
1BDental Practice Owners18 statements
- T106 Comply with legal requirements for advertisement of services and professional qualifications.
- K1061 Knowledge of laws related to advertisement of specialization.
- K1062 Knowledge of laws related to the use of patients in advertising.
- K1063 Knowledge of laws related to fees in advertisements.
- K1064 Knowledge of required disclosures in advertisements.
- K1065 Knowledge of laws related to the use of fictitious names.
- T108 Supervise dental auxiliaries in accordance with regulations.
- T109 Comply with OSHA standards regarding management of hazardous and biohazardous materials.
- T110 Comply with laws requiring posted documentation in dental settings.
- T111 Prepare for medical emergencies in accordance with the law.
- T112 Record and report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation in accordance with mandated reporting laws.
- T113 Comply with legal requirements regarding sexual harassment.
1CPatient Care16 statements
- T107 Comply with legal requirements regarding scope of practice in the provision of services.
- T114 Comply with legal requirements involving protected classes (e.g., race, gender) when providing dental care.
- T115 Comply with legal requirements when estimating fees and billing patients for dental treatments.
- T116 Comply with legal standards regarding guidelines for consent to treat patients.
- T117 Comply with telehealth laws and regulations when providing dental treatment or consultations remotely.
- T118 Prescribe medications to patients in accordance with laws and regulations.
Content Area 2. Ethics
50% of the examProfessional judgment: patient education, continuity of care, referrals, emergency access, impairment, honest billing, reporting duties, and standard of care.
2APatient Education12 statements
- T201 Confirm understanding of risks, benefits, and alternatives to treatment by all interested parties.
- T202 Inform patients of current oral conditions.
- T203 Inform patients of oral health conditions that require future dental care.
- K2031 Knowledge of obligation to share associated risk of non-treatment.
- K2032 Knowledge of obligation to educate patients on dental conditions and their associated risks.
- K2033 Knowledge of methods to educate patients concerning common misconceptions regarding dental materials and treatments.
- K2034 Knowledge of obligation to manage patient expectations regarding the outcome of dental treatments.
- T205 Provide information about alternative treatments.
- T206 Comply with telehealth ethical guidelines when providing dental treatment or consultations.
2BContinuity of Care & Referrals8 statements
The Board groups these tasks within Content Area 2 without a printed “2B” label. Dentovio teaches them as one study block.
- T204 Manage communications between dentist, patient, and previous dentist in accordance with ethical standards.
- T207 Follow ethical principles related to managing referred patients.
- T212 Maintain continuity of care for dental patients.
- K2121 Knowledge of protocol for discontinuing a dentist-patient relationship.
- K2122 Knowledge of methods for promoting continuity of care when there is an interruption in the dentist’s ability to provide care.
- K2123 Knowledge of ethical guidelines regarding patient records when accepting a new patient.
- K2124 Knowledge of ethical guidelines relating to continuity of care when a dental provider relocates.
2CEmergency Treatment2 statements
Open the 2C lesson →2DCommunity Welfare16 statements
- T208 Refer patients to another professional when patient welfare will be safeguarded or advanced.
- K2081 Knowledge of obligation to refer when patient needs exceed dentist level of competence.
- K2082 Knowledge of medical conditions that necessitate additional medical information or referral.
- K2083 Knowledge of obligation to establish network of professional support.
- K2084 Knowledge of ethical guidelines related to offering gifts or compensation for referrals.
- T209 Acknowledge and address dentist impairment that could endanger patients or dental staff.
- K2091 Knowledge of the ethical obligation to seek physician advice when dentist ability to practice has been impaired.
- K2092 Knowledge of obligation to modify activities of practice based on dentist impairment to ensure patient and staff safety.
- K2093 Knowledge of conditions that require dentist enrollment in a diversion program.
- T211 Inform dental community of observations of serious adverse reactions to drugs or dental materials and devices.
- T210 Comply with ethical guidelines when billing insurance for services.
- T213 Promote a respectful workplace to encourage collaboration with and optimal outcomes for patients.
- T214 Report other professionals to enforcement agencies to protect patient health.
- T215 Comply with requirements associated with possible patient exposure to bloodborne pathogens or other infectious material.
- T217 Treat patients at or above the standard of care for diagnosed conditions.
Module preview
Preview the kinds of topics you will actually study.
Law modules
1A. Patient Information
Patient chart rules in California dictate strict confidentiality, structured access timelines, and precise breach notifications. This block covers the state's comprehensive framewo…
Last verified July 22, 2026
Law modules
1B. Dental Practice Owners
This block covers everything that turns an individual mistake into a system failure: how dental practices may advertise themselves, how they must supervise the auxiliaries who actu…
Last verified July 18, 2026
Law modules
1C. Patient Care
This block covers the rules that apply when a patient is actually in front of the dentist: what counts as the dentist's lawful scope of practice, how to estimate fees, how to obtai…
Last verified July 22, 2026
Ethics modules
2A. Patient Education
This block covers the ethical duties surrounding patient communication, ensuring that patients genuinely understand the risks, benefits, and reasonable alternatives of any proposed…
Last verified July 18, 2026
Ethics modules
2B. Continuity of Care, Patients' Charts, and Referrals
This section covers the ethical and legal obligations a dentist owes a patient when the professional relationship is interrupted, ending, or being transitioned to a different provi…
Last verified July 18, 2026
Ethics modules
2C. Emergency Treatment
This section covers the dentist's ethical and legal obligations during dental and medical emergencies: emergency access, the patient-of-record rule and its exceptions, the seven-da…
Last verified July 18, 2026
Recent updates
Fast-changing topics are called out in plain English.
What Changed in 2025-2026 Purpose Collect the freshness-sensitive rule changes and stale-prep traps most likely to cause wrong answers on the California Dental Law & Ethics exam. E…
Read the updates briefWhat to expect at checkout
- One-time payment for personal study access.
- Web-based account access, not a downloadable ebook or physical shipment.
- Use the same account across laptop, tablet, or phone.
- Secure hosted checkout through Lemon Squeezy.
- Paid orders add the study dashboard to your Dentovio account.
- Practice content is original exam-style prep, not recalled live exam items.
- Support replies within one business day, before and after your exam.
- Access to the study materials is provided for 180 days from the date of purchase.
Public answer layer
Check the source-bounded answers before you buy.
Dentovio publishes direct public answers for the decisions that usually come before checkout: whether you need a pass plan, how to use the diagnostic, and how Dentovio compares with free study paths.
Pass-plan answer
A concise route from diagnostic score to a California-specific study plan.
Free diagnostic answer
What the free practice test covers and how to use it before deciding on the course.
Dentovio vs free stack
When free Board materials may be enough and when structured prep is the better choice.
Public authority layer
Dentovio keeps current California guides visible before checkout.
What are California dental records and confidentiality rules?
Use this guide when you need the California timelines and confidentiality rules that show up repeatedly on the Dental Law & Ethics exam.
What does California dental records law require for patient access?
Use this guide when you want the deadline grid for patient requests, radiographs, summaries, and Board-authorized demands.
What California duties fall on the dental practice owner?
Use this guide when a question tests what the dentist or owner must set up, maintain, display, report, or supervise at the office level.
Common questions
Before you buy.
Who is Dentovio for?
Dentovio is education for dentistry: exam prep for dentists, hygienists, and assistants. The flagship course serves California Dentistry Law & Ethics Examination candidates, with tracks for the California RDH and RDA exams, the Florida Laws & Rules exams, and the INBDE.
Is Dentovio an ebook or downloadable PDF?
No. Dentovio is a web-based study product delivered through your account. The public guides are free to browse on the site, and the paid product adds the structured lessons, practice, and review workflow to your Dentovio account.
What is included when I buy?
You get the full lesson library, section question banks, scenario drills, a 60-question timed practice exam, and quick-review materials inside your account.
How is access delivered after payment?
You sign in to a Dentovio account, complete the hosted Lemon Squeezy checkout, and the paid order adds your study materials to that account. Access to the study materials is provided for 180 days from the date of purchase.
What if I have a question while studying?
Email support@dentovio.com and a real person replies within one business day — including after a failed attempt. Common questions are added to the study FAQ so every candidate benefits.