Legis
Healthcare
AB 1760, Chapter 167, Statutes of 2026 · Monday 31 August 2026

Dentistry

California updates dental licensing, specialty permits, assistant duties, and radiation-safety training rules.

The law changes how dentists and dental assistants qualify to practice and expands certain assistant duties under dentist supervision. It also sets clearer standards for facial cosmetic surgery permits and dental X-ray training.

What the law does ​

  • Removes the general examination applicant requirement to show liability insurance or financial responsibility for patient injuries.
  • Lets applicants keep a passing exam-section result for two years, but requires them to retake the full exam after failing one section three times.
  • Sets documented 5,000-hour clinical-practice requirements for qualifying out-of-state dentists and faculty applicants for licensure without a California examination, while requiring qualifying public-health applicants to average 40 hours weekly for five years.
  • Requires California teaching commitments used to meet licensure requirements to be at dental education programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  • Allows facial cosmetic surgery permit reviewers to recommend a permit for only one procedure category when an applicant for both categories lacks demonstrated training or competence for both.
  • Authorizes registered dental assistants in extended functions to polish and contour existing amalgam fillings under direct dentist supervision.
  • Updates required extended-functions training and establishes radiation-safety course approval, instructional, clinical-training, and distance-learning standards.

Who it affects ​

  • Dentists seeking California licensure by examination or through out-of-state credentials.
  • Dentists applying to perform elective facial cosmetic surgery.
  • Registered dental assistants in extended functions and their training programs.
  • Dental radiation-safety course providers and students.
  • The Dental Board of California and its facial cosmetic surgery credentialing committee.

Context ​

The law allows the Dental Board of California to meet privately only when necessary to protect a credentialing committee member’s privacy during removal proceedings.