Board asks CSDA to sponsor bill allowing dental assistants to take X‑rays and proposes adding trafficking training to CE

Summary

Chairman Katz told the board he has contacted the CSDA to sponsor legislation that would permit dental assistants (not hygienists) to take X‑rays without a doctor present and relayed a CSDA request to expand mandatory continuing education to include human‑trafficking awareness and assault/domestic‑abuse response.

In board updates the chair said he has been in touch with the CSDA to request sponsorship of legislation to permit dental assistants to take X‑rays without a doctor present; he noted hygienists are already permitted to take X‑rays in the office without the doctor on site. The chair said the proposed change would particularly affect solo practitioners.

The chair also said CSDA requested the board expand mandatory continuing education to include human‑trafficking awareness and response by adding it to existing assault/domestic‑abuse coursework. He described the CSDA’s proposal and said the board might ask the CSDA to proceed with sponsorship.

Board members asked procedural questions about surveys from the Joint Commission of National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) and whether non‑dentist members should complete the practice analysis survey. The chair said the survey is intended for dentists and reminded dentists on the board to respond if they have not already done so.

The board took no formal vote on legislation at this meeting; the chair said he would encourage the CSDA to move forward and pursue amendments with sponsoring legislators.