What is an RDH?
A Registered Dental Hygienist is defined as - An individual who has completed an accredited dental hygiene education program, and an individual who has been licensed by a state board of dental examiners to provide preventive care services under the supervision of a dentist. RDH's are licensed oral health professionals who provide preventive dental care services and oral health care assessments An RDH works closely with dental assistants and dentists, and they are primarily responsible for cleaning teeth and performing dental and gingival evaluations. Functions that may be legally delegated to the dental hygienist vary based on the needs of the dentist, the educational preparation of the dental hygienist and state dental practice acts and regulations, but always include, at a minimum, scaling and polishing the teeth. To avoid misleading the public, no occupational title other than dental hygienist should be used to describe this dental auxiliary.
What is an RDHAP?
A Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice is defined as- An individual who provides access care for preventive dental hygiene services to the homebound, patients in nursing homes, schools, residential care facilities and the institutionalized. Under the scope of practice RDHAP’s can see these patients without a dentist’s supervision. RDHAP's can also provide all the care that an RDH can provide in a dental office, only they specialize in helping patients with professional needs in the comfort of their own offices that reside in or reside near Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas as certified by the Office of Statewide Planning and Development.
Generally, applicants for the RDHAP licensure are required to hold a current RDH license, have been engaged in clinical practice as a dental hygienist for a minimum of 2,000 hours during the immediately proceeding 36 months( which can be in California or another state), possess a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, complete 150 hours of an approved educational program, and pass a written examination prescribed by the Dental Board.
Please click hyperlink to see a more refined definition of a RDH
Generally, applicants for the RDHAP licensure are required to hold a current RDH license, have been engaged in clinical practice as a dental hygienist for a minimum of 2,000 hours during the immediately proceeding 36 months( which can be in California or another state), possess a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, complete 150 hours of an approved educational program, and pass a written examination prescribed by the Dental Board.
Please click hyperlink to see a more refined definition of a RDH