California Dental Law and Ethics Examination Study Guide
Updated 4/8/22
The exam this year is difficult for test takers. Please study the material thoroughly to best prepare yourself for the exam. Most of the material you need to know is included in this study guide and it should prepare you well. The study guide is actively being updated for 2022 and you will see “updated + date” on lessons where additional material was needed.
You have access to the content within this course for 180 days from the date of purchase. Email support is made available for 90 days after purchase.
Refunds: If you purchased this study guide before April 15th 2022: If you complete this course, and still fail the examination, you are entitled to a full refund. To receive a refund, you must have completed this course (by passing quizzes and practice exams) prior to your exam date. If, after completing the course, you fail the exam, submit a copy of your score to help@embrasurespace.com and one of our team members will contact you to initiate the refund.
Refunds: if you purchased this study guide after April 15th 2022:
If you complete this course, and still fail the examination twice, you are entitled to a full refund. To receive a refund, you must have completed this course (by passing quizzes and practice exams) prior to your exam date. If, after completing the course, you fail the exam, submit a copy of your score to help@embrasurespace.com and one of our team members will contact you to initiate the refund.
Why did we change the refund policy on April 15?
I created this study guide in 2015 with the idea that the material would remain relatively stagnant. Over the last three years the knowledge required to pass the exam has changed dramatically. Quite frankly, it is a much more challenging exam than it used to be. I do the best I can to help each student study for the exam, but the volume of emails students have had and the time required to answer those emails has increased significantly over the last two years. If you have questions, I try and make myself available by email Monday – Friday and reply promptly even after a student fails the exam. Please keep in mind, I am practicing dentistry Monday through Friday and often reply to emails at the end of my regular workday. Given the amount of time that is being dedicated to students to provide support, I have made the decision to require students to fail the exam twice before a refund is issued.
Lessons
Task and Knowledge Statements Part 1
The Dental Board of California releases task and knowledge statements that students should be familiar with prior to taking the exam. This lesson is part 1 of 2 covering the ethics task and knowledge statements. **CORRECTION TO SLIDES AND PRESENTATION – IF YOU FAIL THE…
Task and Knowledge Statements Part 2
The Dental Board of California releases task and knowledge statements that students should be familiar with prior to taking the exam. This lesson is part 2 of 2 covering the law task and knowledge statements.
A Review of the California Dental Practice Act
A Review of the CDA Code of Ethics
The California Dental Association Code of Ethics is similar to the American Dental Association Code of Ethics. Before taking the California Dental Law and Ethics Exam, I recommend that you read the CDA Code of Ethics in full. The video above is a brief review…
Table of Permitted Duties
Updated 4/12/22 If you have not already done so, please review the Table of Permitted Duties. A PDF copy of this table is available in the lesson media of the lesson titled “Introduction to the California Dental Law and Ethics Exam” which is the…
Patient Records: Documentation, Backups, and Breaches
Updated 4/14/22 With the popularity of electronic records, knowing how to document or edit paper charts is becoming less important. However, here’s what you need to know according to the dental board: For treatment entries in paper charts, a dental professional that performs a service…
Patient Record Maintenance and Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Updated 4/19/22 Under HIPAA, personally identifiable information includes patient’s names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, and medical diagnoses (any information that can be used to identify, locate, or contact an individual). HIPAA states that HIPAA covered entities must take reasonable steps to limit…
Informed Consent
Last Updated 4/19/22 Please pay particular attention to this section. Multiple exam questions will be about informed consent. Informed consent should always be obtained in writing. For minor patients, consent can only be granted by parents or legal guardians unless that authority has been officially…
Fictitious Business Names
Updated 4/8/22 Dentists who practice under a name other than the name under which they are licensed must have obtained a fictitious name permit from the Dental Board. Dentists operating with a fictitious name permit issued by the Dental Board must also comply with California…
Rules for Storing and Disposing of Controlled Substances
Updated 4/14/22 DEA registration is required for each address where a dentist keeps controlled substances. A dentist who stores controlled substances must maintain a log for no less than 3 years and take inventory at least once every 2 years. Controlled substances must be stored…
Mandated Reporting
Updated 4/26/22 All professionals licensed by the Dental Board of California are considered “mandated reporters”. A mandated reporter is required to report to local law enforcement or a local services agency if the mandated reporter knows, observes, or suspects that a patient (a child or…
Treatment Accessibility & Payment
Updated 4/9/22 Emergencies Dentists must make reasonable arrangements for emergency care for their patients of record to avoid being accused of patient abandonment. For example, if you plan on going on vacation or taking a leave of absence from your dental practice, contact a local…
Infection Control
Updated 4/8/22 As a dental student or practicing dentist, you should be aware of standard infection control policies and procedures. All dental professionals in California must complete 2 hours of continuing education on infection control each year. This means that for each license renewal cycle…
Substandard Treatment and Professionalism
Dentists do not have a legal obligation to report substandard care, but we do have an ethical obligation to do so in instances of continual faulty treatment. Dentists have an obligation to inform their patients of their current oral health status, but we should avoid…
Advertising
Updated 4/25/22 Dentists are allowed to advertise in California, but there are some rules you should be aware of for this examination. Discounts Insurance contracts complicate offering discounts to patients. You should be aware that if you offer a discount to a patient who has…
Social Media
Updated 4/9/22 Social media and review websites such as Yelp pose potential challenges for healthcare providers and HIPAA laws. You should understand that if a patient publishes commentary about your practice, regardless of its validity, you are not permitted to reply to the comment in…
Rules, Regulations, and Changes
This exam may include some questions that are seemingly random. I will update the section of this study guide with information that may present on the exam as rules and regulations change in California.
California Law and Ethics Practice Examination 1 – Basic Questions
After clicking on the “View Lesson Quiz” button below, you will be taken to the first practice examination for this course. The exam contains 50 questions.
California Dental Law and Ethics Exam Practice Exam 2
This lesson marks the conclusion of the study guide. After clicking on the “View Lesson Quiz” button below, you will be taken to the second practice examination in this guide. The exam contains 50 questions. After completing each lesson and reading their associated documents referenced…
25 Bonus Questions
This lesson consists of 25 bonus questions.
Botox
Updated 4/8/22 This is still a grey area with regards to practicing dentistry in California. Technically general dentists can administer Botox and fillers in CA for dental purposes only. The reason for the administration of Botox or filler needs to be well documented including photographs….
Prescriptions, Controlled Substances, and CURES
Updated 4/14/22 CURES – What You Need to Know Dentists who prescribe controlled substances to patients must check CURES before they issue the prescription. The patient’s activity report from CURES must be pulled no earlier than 24 hours prior to prescribing the controlled substance. If…
Billing, Insurance, Co-payments, and Discounts
Updated 4/10/22 When patients have dental insurance, the dentist will receive payment from 2 sources. The first source is directly from the insurance company and the second source is directly from the patient. We call the portion that the patient is responsible for paying a…
Associates
Updated 4/14/22 A lot of students struggle to answer questions about associates. Remember, the owner of the practice owns the patient records and is responsible for the continuity of the patients’ care and the maintenance and disposal of the patients’ records.. What happens when an…
Patient Records: Minors
Updated 4/19/22 Questions about minors and their treatment can be challenging to answer. Read this section carefully. Minors cannot access their patient records without their parent or guardians consent. The only exception to this rule is if the minor is an emancipated minor. Treating minors…
Amalgam and Amalgam Disposal
Updated 4/19/22 Amalgam Safety: Theories associating mercury in dental amalgam with serious illness have not been supported by reputable science. Furthermore, no cause-and-effect relationship has been established between mercury in dental amalgam and any systemic illness in either patients or dental health care workers. Dental…