Bill > AB1952

This bill, amending the Dental Practice Act in California, aims to create a new pathway for individuals with foreign dental degrees to become licensed dental hygienists. Specifically, it allows the Dental Hygiene Board of California to certify an applicant as eligible to take the dental hygiene examination given by the American Board of Dental Examiners if they have earned a degree from a nonaccredited dental school and meet several other requirements. These requirements include submitting verification of their degree's academic equivalence to a U.S. dental hygiene degree, passing specific examinations like the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a California law and ethics exam within the last five years, and completing certain approved coursework within the last two years, such as a Dental Practice Act course, an infection control course, and a course covering soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia, along with current basic life support certification. The bill also clarifies that individuals meeting most of these criteria are eligible to enroll in the required advanced coursework. Ultimately, upon successfully passing the American Board of Dental Examiners' examination and submitting the necessary application and fees, the board will grant a license as a registered dental hygienist.