Council launches reevaluation of standalone pit-and-fissure sealant courses; staff to audit ~173 providers

Board staff told the Dental Assisting Council they have begun a multi-step reevaluation of standalone pit-and-fissure sealant courses to confirm compliance with the Dental Practice Act.

Tina Valerie, chief of license and program compliance, said staff started preliminary work in August 2024 and sent requests for information to roughly 173 approved sealant course providers. Beginning in October, staff has issued five reevaluation notices per month and expects the process to take 60–90 days for each provider, though it may be longer if a site visit is warranted. Providers that receive a reevaluation notice will be allowed to continue offering courses while they have four weeks to respond to the information request.

Valerie said site visits and curriculum review are part of the reevaluation: providers must submit the same materials required for initial approval, including curriculum documentation, and staff will review that documentation in writing. She said the unit plans to work from oldest to newest approvals and the goal is to cycle reevaluations approximately every seven years.

Council members asked how programs taught partly online would be assessed. Valerie said didactic content may be delivered online, but laboratory and clinical components must be completed in person; the curricula must be submitted in writing for review.

Next steps: staff will continue sending five notices per month until all providers have been reevaluated. The unit expects to schedule site visits (two were already noted in other program updates) and will report findings back to the council as part of ongoing compliance work.