CAO Orthodontic Assistant Permit (OAP) Staff Training Course FAQ s Q: What is included in the CAO OAP course package? A: The CAO OAP materials include: 1. Example of completed and approved OAP instructor application; 2. Application instructions including a description or source for all necessary documents required by the Dental Board; 3. Link to the CDA site to obtain the required teaching certificate 4. Complete OAP course including all required student documentation and Instructions; 5. CAO Study Guide-consists of 7 modules coinciding with the OAP course Materials; the study guide was developed by CAO members to provide support material specific to the OAP course; 6. OAP Course test bank-a series of representative test questions and answer keys Q: What is required to become an OAP instructor? A: Individual orthodontists can teach the OAP course in their offices after receiving the facility and course provider approval from the Dental Board of California. Orthodontists can obtain the OAP course application online from the Dental Board, complete and submit it with the materials provided by CAO. The CAO OAP course includes all of the documentation required for the Dental Board application.
Q: Can RDAs obtain the OAP? A: RDAs will need to complete the OAP course, the Dental Board written examination as well as submitting the application and fees to the Dental Board. RDAs will then expand their scope of practice to the maximum allowed by law. Q: Why do existing RDA's need to obtain this permit since they have been doing a number of the duties for many years? A: Some of the tasks commonly completed by assistants were outside the scope of practice previously specified in the business and professions code. Legislation was passed to clarify and expand the actual scope of practice for our assistant categories and defines the specific tasks that each category of assistant can perform. The legislation also specifies the education requirements and settings where an orthodontic assistant can receive the instruction to obtain the OAP designation. Q: Can an unlicensed dental assistant obtain the OAP designation? A: A dental assistant can begin the OAP course after working as an orthodontic assistant for 6 months. After completing 1 year of experience as an orthodontic assistant, the assistant is eligible to obtain the OAP designation. The law requires that unlicensed dental assistants complete BCLS, Infection Control, and Dental Practice Act within 1 year of starting employment.
Q: How long is the course? A: The OAP course meets the minimum requirement of 84 hours specified in statute and regulation for training dental assistants and 60 hours training for RDAs. Each module designates the number of hours for didactic, laboratory, and clinical hours of instruction. Q: What CAO OAP course materials will orthodontists receive? A: The course includes all the required course materials, documents necessary to certify the facility and the instructor and the forms and student evaluations required. Complete, detailed instructions on the entire process along with a basic course syllabus covering the seven modules are included as well. Q: Will the OAP Permit approvals be delayed due to the new regulations under consideration by the Dental Board? A: Though our CAO Orthodontic Assistant Permit Course is ready for distribution, effective January 1, 2011, statutes that set new requirements for the Orthodontic Assistant Permit and other courses in CA were repealed. The Dental Board is currently proposing to adopt new regulations that would reinstate these course and program requirements. The Board is completing the public comment period for the proposed regulations and anticipates filing the regulations package with the Office of Administrative Law for review and approval. In the meantime, the Dental Board expects that they will have this resolved soon and CAO OAP materials may be submitted in the interim time. The Dental Board of California will review OAP applications so that there is no delay in approving OAP Permits when the regulations are reinstated.
Duties Allowed for RDAs and Dental Assistants (With and Without Orthodontic Permit) Orthodontic Tasks are noted in Blue Task DA RDA DA/OP RDA/OP Apply non-aerosol and non-caustic topical agents X X X X Apply topical fluoride X X X X Operate dental radiography equipment; (requires X-ray license) X X X X Perform intraoral/extraoral photography X X X X Take intraoral impressions for all non-prosthodontic appliances X X X X Take facebow transfers and bite registrations X X X X Place and remove rubber dams or other isolation devices X X X X Place, wedge, and remove matrices for restorative procedures X X X X Perform measurements for the purposes of orthodontic treatment X X X X Cure restorative or orthodontic materials in
operative site with a light-curing device X X X X Examine orthodontic appliances X X X X Place and remove orthodontic separators X X X X Remove ligature ties and archwires X X X X Examine and seat removable orthodontic appliances after GP adjustment X X X X Deliver care instructions to the patient for orthodontic appliances X X X X Monitor patient sedation, limited to reading and transmitting information from the monitor display X X X X Assist in the administration of nitrous oxide when used for analgesia or sedation X X X X Remove periodontal dressings X X X X Mouth-mirror inspections of the oral cavity, to include charting of obvious lesions, existing restorations, and missing teeth X X Apply and activate bleaching agents using a non-laser, light-curing device X X Use of automated caries detection devices and materials to gather information for diagnosis by the dentist X X Obtain intraoral images for computer-aided design (CAD), milled resorations X X
Pulp vitality testing and recording of findings X X Place bases, liners, and bonding agents X X Chemically prepare teeth for bonding X X X Place, adjust, and finish direct provisional restorations X X Fabricate, adjust, cement, and remove indirect provisional restorations, including stainless steel crowns when used as a provisional restoration X X Place post-extraction dressings after inspection of the surgical site by the supervising licensed dentist X X Place periodontal dressings X X Dry endodontically treated canals using absorbent paper points X X Adjust dentures extra-orally X X Remove excess cement from surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument X X X Polish coronal surfaces of the teeth X X Place ligature ties and archwires X X X Remove orthodontic bands and remove excess cement from supragingival surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument X X X
Prepare teeth for bonding, and select, preposition, and cure orthodontic brackets after their position has been approved by the supervising licensed dentist X X Remove only orthodontic brackets and attachments with removal of the bonding material by the supervising licensed dentist X X Size, fit and cement orthodontic bands X X Remove excess cement with an ultrasonic scaler from supragingival surfaces of teeth undergoing orthodontic treatment; (*RDA required Board approved course) X X X