Section 1070.3 - Approval of Pit and Fissure Sealant CoursesThe following minimum criteria shall be met for a course in the application of pit and fissure sealants to secure and maintain approval by the Board.
(a) Educational Setting. The course shall be established at the post-secondary educational level.(b) Prerequisites. Each student must possess the necessary requirements for application for RDA licensure or currently possess an RDA license. Each student must have already completed a Board-approved course in coronal polishing.(c) Administration/Facility. Adequate provision for the supervision and operation of the course shall be made. (1) The course director and each faculty member shall possess a valid, active, and current RDAEF, RDH, RDHEF, RDHAP, or dentist license issued by the Board, or an RDA license issued by the Board if the person has completed Board-approved courses in coronal polishing and the application of pit and fissure sealants. All faculty shall have been licensed for a minimum of two years. All faculty shall have the education, background, and occupational experience and/or teaching expertise necessary to teach, place, and evaluate the application of pit and fissure sealants. All faculty responsible for clinical evaluation shall have completed a two hour methodology course in clinical evaluation.(2) The course director must have the education, background, and occupational experience necessary to understand and fulfill the course goals. He/she shall actively participate in and be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the course including the following:(A) Providing daily guidance of didactic, laboratory and clinical assignments.(B) Maintaining for a period of not less than 5 years:1. Copies of curricula, course outlines, objectives, and grading criteria.2. Copies of faculty credentials, licenses, and certifications.3. Individual student records, including those necessary to establish satisfactory completion of the course.(C) Informing the Board of any changes to the course content, physical facilities, and/or faculty, within 10 days of such changes.(d) Length of Course. The program shall be of sufficient duration for the student to develop minimum competence in the application of pit and fissure sealants, but shall in no event be less than 16 clock hours, including at least 4 hours of didactic training, at least 4 hours of laboratory training, and at least 8 hours of clinical training.(e) Evidence of Completion. A certificate or other evidence of completion shall be issued to each student who successfully completes the course.(f) Facilities and Resources. Facilities and class scheduling shall provide each student with sufficient opportunity, with instructor supervision, to develop minimum competency in applying pit and fissure sealants. Such facilities shall include safe, adequate and educationally conducive: (1) Lecture classrooms. Classroom size and equipment shall accommodate the number of students enrolled.(2) Operatories. Operatories shall be sufficient in number to allow a ratio of at least one operatory for every five students at any one time.(A) Each operatory shall replicate a modern dental office containing functional equipment including: a power-operated chair for treating patients in a supine position; operator and assistant stools; air-water syringe; adjustable light; oral evacuation equipment; work surface; hand-washing sink; curing light, and all other armamentarium required to instruct in the application of pit and fissure sealants.(B) Each operatory must be of sufficient size to accommodate a practitioner, a student, an instructor, and a patient at one time.(3) Laboratories. The location and number of general use equipment shall assure that each student has the access necessary to develop minimum competency in the application of pit and fissure sealants. Protective eyewear is required for each student.(4) Infection Control. The program shall establish written clinical and laboratory protocols to ensure adequate asepsis, infection and hazard control, and disposal of hazardous wastes, which shall comply with the board's regulations and other Federal, State, and local requirements. The program shall provide such protocols to all students, faculty, and appropriate staff to assure compliance with such protocols. Adequate space shall be provided for preparing and sterilizing all armamentarium.(5) Emergency Materials/Basic Life Support.(A) A written policy on managing emergency situations must be made available to all students, faculty, and staff.(B) All students, faculty, and staff involved in the direct provision of patient care must be certified in basic life support procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Re-certification intervals may not exceed two years. The program must document, monitor, and ensure compliance by such students, faculty, and staff.(g) Program Content.(1) Sufficient time shall be available for all students to obtain laboratory and clinical experience to achieve minimum competence in the various protocols used in the application of pit and fissure sealants.(2) A detailed course outline shall be provided to the board which clearly states curriculum subject matter and specific instruction hours in the individual areas of didactic, laboratory, and clinical instruction.(3) General program objectives and specific instructional unit objectives shall be stated in writing, and shall include theoretical aspects of each subject as well as practical application. The theoretical aspects of the program shall provide the content necessary for students to make judgments regarding the application of pit and fissure sealants. The course shall assure that students who successfully complete the course can apply pit and fissure sealants with minimum competence.(4) Objective evaluation criteria shall be used for measuring student progress toward attainment of specific course objectives. Students shall be provided with specific unit objectives and evaluation criteria that will be used for all aspects of the curriculum including written and practical examinations. The program shall establish a standard of performance that states the minimum number of satisfactory performances that are required for each procedure.(5) Areas of instruction shall include at least the following as they relate to pit and fissure sealants: (A) Dental Science -- Oral Anatomy, Histology, Physiology, Oral Pathology, Normal/Abnormal Anatomical and Physiological Tooth Descriptions(B) Morphology and Microbiology(C) Dental Materials and Pharmacology(D) Sealant Basics 2. Description and goals of sealants3. Indications and contraindications4. Role in preventive programs(E) Sealant Materials1. Etchant and/or etchant/bond combination material composition, process, storage and handling2. Sealant material composition, polymerization type, process, storage and handling3. Armamentaria for etching and sealant application4. Problem solving for etchant and sealant material placement/manipulation(F) Sealant Criteria 2. Patient selection factors3. Other indication factors(G) Preparation Factors 1. Moisture control protocol2. Tooth/teeth preparation procedures prior to etching or etchant/bond(H) Acid Etching or Etchant/Bond Combination 3. Application time factors6. Etchant or etchant/bond evaluation criteria(I) Sealant Application2. Application time factors4. Procedure for chemical cure and light cure techniques5. Sealant evaluation criteria6. Sealant adjustment techniques(J) Infection control protocol(K) Clinical re-call re-evaluation protocols(6) There shall be no more than 14 students per instructor during laboratory instruction. Laboratory instruction may be conducted on a typodont, a simulated model, and/or mounted extracted teeth. Sufficient time shall be available for all students to obtain laboratory experience to achieve minimum competence in pit and fissure sealant application prior to the performance of procedures on patients.(7) Clinical instruction shall be of sufficient duration to allow the procedures to be performed to clinical proficiency. There shall be no more than 6 students per instructor during clinical instruction. Clinical instruction shall include clinical experience on four patients with two of the four patients used for the clinical examination. Each clinical patient must have a minimum of four (4) virgin, non-restored, natural teeth, sufficiently erupted so that a dry field can be maintained, for application of the etching, or etchant/bond combination, and sealant materials. Such clinical instruction shall include teeth in all four quadrants for each patient.(h) Externship Instruction.(1) If an extramural clinical facility is utilized, students shall, as part of an organized program of instruction, be provided with planned, supervised clinical instruction in the application of pit and fissure sealants.(2) The program director/coordinator or a dental faculty member shall be responsible for selecting extern clinical sites and evaluating student competence in performing procedures both before and after the clinical assignment.(3) Objective evaluation criteria shall be used by the program faculty and clinic personnel.(4) Dentists who intend to provide extramural clinical practices shall be oriented by the program director/coordinator or a dental faculty member prior to the student assignment. Orientation shall include the objectives of the course, the preparation the student has had for the clinical assignment, and a review of procedures and criteria to be used by the dentist in evaluating the student during the assignment.(5) There shall be a written contract of affiliation with each extramural clinical facility utilized by the program. Such contract shall describe the settings in which the clinical training will be received, affirm that the clinical facility has the necessary equipment and armamentarium appropriate for the procedures to be performed, and affirm that such equipment and armamentarium are in safe operating condition.(i) Evaluation and Examination.(1) Upon completion of the course, each student must be able to: (A) Identify the major characteristics of oral anatomy, histology, physiology, oral pathology, normal/abnormal anatomical and physiological tooth descriptions, morphology and microbiology as they relate to pit and fissure application.(B) Explain the procedure to patients.(C) Recognize decalcification, caries and fracture lines.(D) Identify the indications and contraindications for sealants.(E) Identify the characteristics of self curing and light cured sealant material.(F) Define the appropriate patient selection factors and indication factors for sealant application.(G) Utilize proper armamentaria in an organized sequence.(H) Maintain appropriate moisture control protocol before and during application of etchant and sealant material.(I) Demonstrate the proper technique for teeth preparation prior to etching.(J) Select and dispense the proper amount of etchant and sealant material.(K) Demonstrate the proper techniques for application of the etchant and sealant material.(L) Implement problem solving techniques associated with pit and fissure sealants.(M) Evaluate the etchant and sealant placement techniques according to appropriate criteria.(N) Check the occlusion and proximal contact for appropriate placement techniques.(O) Adjust occlusion and evaluate or correct proximal areas(s) when indicated.(P) Maintain aseptic techniques including disposal of contaminated material.(2) Each student shall pass a written examination which reflects the entire curriculum content.(3) Each student shall pass a clinical examination in which the student successfully completes the application of pit and fissure sealants on two of the four clinical patients required for clinical instruction. The examination shall include teeth in all four quadrants.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 16, § 1070.3
1. New section filed 4-28-2005; operative 5-28-2005 (Register 2005, No. 17). Note: Authority cited: Section 1614, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 1754 and 1777, Business and Professions Code.
1. New section filed 4-28-2005; operative 5-28-2005 (Register 2005, No. 17).