Ortho Assistant and Dental Sedation Assistant Exam Data

Orthodontic Assistant and Dental Sedation Assistant Permit Examination Data

Updated 11/20/2012 Working dental assistants (licensed or unlicensed) interested in becoming a permit holder to perform advanced orthodontic duties and dental sedation duties are required to complete educational courses and qualify for examinations administered by the Dental Board. CADAT is pleased to provide the following data for download: Orthodontic Assistant Permit Examination Application Packet – click here Dental Sedation Assistant Permit Examination Application Packet – click here Orthodontic Assistant Examination Plan and Outline – click here Dental Sedation Assistant Examination Plan and Outline – click here Orthodontic Assistant Permit LiveScan Form – click here Dental Sedation Assistant Permit LiveScan Form – click here

Commonly Asked Questions About Becoming a Permit Holder

Updated 11/25/2012 What duties can be performed by an Orthodontic Assistant Permit holder? A person holding an orthodontic assistant permit pursuant to Section 1750.2 may perform the following duties under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist: (a) All duties that a dental assistant is allowed to perform. (b) Prepare teeth for bonding, and select, preposition, and cure orthodontic brackets after their position has been approved by the supervising licensed dentist. (c) Remove only orthodontic brackets and attachments with removal of the bonding material by the supervising licensed dentist. (d) Size, fit, and cement orthodontic bands. (e) Remove orthodontic bands and remove excess cement from supragingival surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument. (f) Place and ligate archwires. (g) Remove excess cement with an ultrasonic scaler from supragingival surfaces of teeth undergoing orthodontic treatment. What duties can be performed by a Dental Sedation Assistant Permit holder? A person holding a dental sedation assistant permit may perform the following duties under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist or other licensed health care professional authorized to administer conscious sedation or general anesthesia in the dental office: (a) All duties that a dental assistant is allowed to perform. (b) Monitor patients undergoing conscious sedation or general anesthesia utilizing data from noninvasive instrumentation such as pulse oximeters, electrocardiograms, capnography, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate monitoring devices. Evaluation of the condition of a sedated patient shall remain the responsibility of the dentist or other licensed health care professional authorized to administer conscious sedation or general anesthesia, who shall be at the patient’s chairside while conscious sedation or general anesthesia is being administered. (c) Drug identification and draw, limited to identification of appropriate medications, ampule and vial preparation, and withdrawing drugs of correct amount as verified by the supervising licensed dentist. (d) Add drugs, medications, and fluids to intravenous lines using a syringe, provided that a supervising licensed dentist is present at the patient’s chairside, limited to determining patency of intravenous line, selection of injection port, syringe insertion into injection port, occlusion of intravenous line and blood aspiration, line release and injection of drugs for appropriate time interval. The exception to this duty is that the initial dose of a drug or medication shall be administered by the supervising licensed dentist. (e) Removal of intravenous lines. (f) Any additional duties that the board may prescribe by regulation. (g) The duties listed in subdivisions (b) to (e), inclusive, may not be performed in any setting other than a dental office or dental clinic. Do I have to be licensed as a Registered Dental Assistant to obtain an Ortho Assistant or Dental Sedation Assistant Permit? No. You may be a current RDA or an unlicensed dental assistant. You must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply for the orthodontic assistant permit examination: (1) Completion of at least 12 months of work experience as a dental assistant. (2) Successful completion of a board-approved 2-hour course in the Dental Practice Act and a board-approved 8-hour course in infection control. (3) Successful completion of a course in basic life support offered by an instructor approved by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. (4) Successful completion of a board-approved 84-hour orthodontic assistant course, which may commence after the completion of six months of work experience as a dental assistant. (5) Passage of a written examination administered by the board after completion of all of the other requirements. You must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply for the dental sedation permit examination: (1) Completion of at least 12 months of work experience as a dental assistant. (2) Successful completion of a board-approved 2-hour course in the Dental Practice Act and a board-approved 8-hour course in infection control. (3) Successful completion of a course in basic life support offered by an instructor approved by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. (4) Successful completion of a board-approved 110-hour dental sedation assistant course, which may commence after the completion of six months of work experience as a dental assistant. (5) Passage of a written examination administered by the board after completion of all of the other requirements. Do I have to apply to the Board for the examination and go through a fingerprinting process? Yes. The application to apply, once all eligibility requirements have been met, is available here on our site as well as on the Dental Board’s website. The form to use for LiveScan fingerprinting will become available here soon. It is highly recommended that you complete your LiveScan fingerprinting process prior to submission of your permit exam application, and include the document in the application packet when submitted to the Board. Failure to produce LiveScan documentation may result in a deficiency and disallow you from taking the examination or receiving your permit once your examination process is successfully completed.