Dentistry: dental schools.

Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, establishes the Dental Board of California for the licensure and regulation of dentists and dental assistants. Existing law requires the board to issue licenses and permits to practice dentistry and dental assisting in this state to applicants who successfully pass certain examinations, as specified. Existing law imposes certain eligibility requirements on applicants to take an examination before the board, including furnishing evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the board or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. This bill would additionally authorize a national accrediting body approved by the board to approve dental colleges for purposes of the above-described examination eligibility requirement. Existing law authorizes the board to grant a license to practice dentistry to an applicant who submits to the board specified information, including evidence of having graduated from a dental school approved by a national accrediting body approved by the board or from a dental school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. This bill would additionally authorize the board to approve dental colleges for purposes of the above-described license eligibility requirement. Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, requires a school seeking approval as a foreign dental school to have successfully completed the international consultative and accreditation process with the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or a comparable accrediting body approved by the board and makes graduates of a foreign dental school whose programs were approved at the time of graduation eligible for licensure. Prior law, until January 1, 2024, had instead required, for approval or renewal of approval, a foreign dental school to make application to the board, and to meet other specified requirements, including the payment of specified fees, as prescribed. That prior law imposed duties and powers on the board related to the evaluation of those applications and the periodic survey and evaluation of all approved foreign dental schools to ensure continued compliance with the requirements for approval. This bill would, with certain exceptions, reenact those provisions. This bill would require a graduate of a board-approved foreign dental school who is licensed pursuant to a specified provision described above to practice full-time for 2 years in one or more types of clinics or health centers owned or operated by certain nonprofit or government entities, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to request verification of compliance with this requirement and to revoke a license if it finds that the licensee has not complied with the requirement. The bill would require the board to provide information about areas of the state that are experiencing a shortage of dentists in the application packet for licensure to practice dentistry.