Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 1086 - RDA Duties and Settings

(a) Unless specifically so provided by regulation, the prohibitions contained in section 1085 of these regulations apply to registered dental assistants.

(b) A registered dental assistant may perform all functions which may be performed by a dental assistant.

(c) Under general supervision, a registered dental assistant may perform the following duties:

(1) Mouth-mirror inspection of the oral cavity, to include charting of obvious lesions, existing restorations and missing teeth;

(2) Placement and removal of temporary sedative dressings.

(d) A registered dental assistant may perform the following procedures under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist when done so pursuant to the order, control and full professional responsibility of the supervising dentist. Such procedures shall be checked and approved by the supervising dentist prior to dismissal of the patient from the office of said dentist.

(1) Obtain endodontic cultures;

(2) Dry canals, previously opened by the supervising dentist, with absorbent points;

(3) Test pulp vitality;

(4) Place bases and liners on sound dentin;

(5) Remove excess cement from supragingival surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument or floss;

(6) Size stainless steel crowns, temporary crowns and bands;

(7) Fabrication of temporary crowns intra-orally;

(8) Temporary cementation and removal of temporary crowns and removal of orthodontic bands;

(9) Placement of orthodontic separators;

(10) Placement and ligation of arch wires;

(11) Placement of post-extraction and periodontal dressings;

(12) Apply bleaching agents;

(13) Activate bleaching agents with non-laser light-curing device;

(14) Take bite registrations for diagnostic models for case study only;

(15) Coronal polishing (Evidence of satisfactory completion of a board-approved course of instruction in this function must be submitted to the board prior to any performance thereof).

This procedure shall not be intended or interpreted as a complete oral prophylaxis (a procedure which can be performed only by a licensed dentist or registered dental hygienist). A licensed dentist or registered dental hygienist shall determine that the teeth to be polished are free of calculus or other extraneous material prior to coronal polishing.

(16) Removal of excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth under orthodontic treatment by means of an ultrasonic scaler. (Evidence of satisfactory completion of a board-approved course of instruction or equivalent instruction in an approved RDA program in this function must be submitted to the board prior to any performance thereof.)

(e) Settings. Registered dental assistants may undertake the duties authorized by this section in a treatment facility under the jurisdiction and control of the supervising licensed dentist, or in an equivalent facility approved by the board.

Notes

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 1086

Note: Authority cited: Section 1614, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 1614 and 1752.4, Business and Professions Code.

Note: Authority cited: Section 1614, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 1614 and 1754, Business and Professions Code; and Section 15376, Government Code.

1. Amendment of subsection (d) filed 2-22-88; operative 3-23-88 (Register 88, No. 10).
2. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (d)(11) filed 9-11-89 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 89, No. 37).
3. Amendment of subsection (d)(11) filed 10-29-90; operative 11-28-90 (Register 90, No. 48).
4. New subsection (d)(11) and subsection renumbering filed 5-9-96; operative 6-8-96 (Register 96, No. 19).
5. New subsections (d)(7), (d)(12) and (d)(13) and subsection renumbering filed 1-24-2000; operative 2-23-2000 (Register 2000, No. 4).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (d)(15)-(16) and amending NOTE filed 7-16-2024 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2024, No. 29).