(a) If the committee determines that the public health and safety would be served by requiring all holders of licenses under this article to continue their education after receiving a license, the committee may require, as a condition of license renewal, that licensees submit assurances satisfactory to the committee that they will, during the succeeding two-year period, inform themselves of the developments in the practice of dental hygiene occurring since the original issuance of their licenses by pursuing one or more courses of study satisfactory to the committee, or by other means deemed equivalent by the committee. The committee shall adopt, amend, and revoke regulations providing for the suspension of the licenses at the end of the two-year period until compliance with the assurances provided for in this section is accomplished.
(b) The committee may also, as a condition of license renewal, require licensees to successfully complete a portion of the required continuing education hours in specific areas adopted in regulations by the committee. The committee may prescribe this mandatory coursework within the general areas of patient care, health and safety, and law and ethics. The mandatory coursework prescribed by the committee shall not exceed seven and one-half hours per renewal period. Any mandatory coursework required by the committee shall be credited toward the continuing education requirements established by the committee pursuant to subdivision (a).
(c) The providers of courses referred to in this section shall be approved by the committee. Providers approved by the dental board shall be deemed approved by the committee.
(Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 31, Sec. 47. Effective January 1, 2009. Operative July 1, 2009, by Sec. 55 of Ch. 31.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018