SECTION 114.21. Requirements for Dental Assistant Registration Courses and Examinations

(a) The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Dental industry professional organization"--any organization, the primary mission of which is to represent and support dentists, dental hygienists, and/or dental assistants;

(2) "Jurisprudence"--the body of statutes and regulations pertaining to and governing practice by dental assistants, including relevant portions of the Texas Occupations Code, and the rules enacted by the SBDE.

(b) Any school or program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or any dental industry professional organization may offer a course and examination to fulfill the requirements for dental assistant registration outlined in this chapter, so long as the course and examination are compliant with the requirements of this section, and have been approved by the SBDE.

(c) Courses administered to fulfill the requirements of this chapter must:

(1) Cover all the course objectives outlined by the SBDE and set forth in this chapter; and,

(2) Comply with other requirements established by the SBDE.

(d) Course providers administering examinations to fulfill the requirements of this chapter must:

(1) Employ a minimum of 50 questions per examination that adequately cover the course objectives set forth in this chapter;

(2) Establish a minimum passing score of 70%; and,

(3) Maintain safeguards to ensure the integrity and security of the examinations, their content, and the physical examination environment, as outlined in this chapter.

(e) Any course and examination administered under this section may be offered through self-study, interactive computer courses, or lecture courses, and may be offered through the Internet.

(f) Course and examination approval. A provider seeking approval of a dental assistant course must submit the following materials to the SBDE prior to offering the course:

(1) A complete, signed, and notarized Dental Assistant Course Provider Application, as promulgated by the SBDE;

(2) An application fee in the amount established by the SBDE, payable by check or money order made payable to the State Board of Dental Examiners; and

(3) Documentation pertaining to the course, including:

(A) All course materials to be provided to course attendees;

(B) The complete pool of examination questions to be drawn from;

(C) An examination integrity plan that meets the requirements of this chapter;

(D) A copy of the certificate to be issued on course completion; and,

(E) A copy of the provider's reexamination policy, which notifies course attendees in advance how many reexaminations shall be allowed without retaking the course, the cost of reexamination, and other pertinent information.

(g) Following course approval, the following information must be submitted to the SBDE:

(1) An internet URL address for a website containing information about the approved course, or, if no such website exists, contact information for the course provider;

(2) A schedule of courses to be offered, including dates, times and locations for each;

(3) Prompt notification of any changes to the published course schedule; and,

(4) Notification of any substantive changes to the course curriculum or materials following SBDE approval. Such changes must be submitted in writing to the SBDE for approval prior to their implementation in the course.

(h) The course provider shall provide all course registrants with their examination results within 30 days of completion of the examination.

(i) All course providers are subject to audit by the State Board of Dental Examiners for purposes of ensuring compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

(j) Documentation of course attendance and course completion shall be kept by the course provider for a period of not less than two (2) years.

(k) Failure to comply with any of the requirements of this section may result in withdrawal of course approval.

Source Note: The provisions of this §114.21 adopted to be effective May 29, 2006, 31 TexReg 4426; amended to be effective October 7, 2009, 34 TexReg 6853; amended to be effective December 22, 2010, 35 TexReg 11256; amended to be effective March 16, 2023, 48 TexRg 1449