Important Notification for Licensees

Business and Professions Code section 138 requires that all Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC) licensees provide notification to their patients that they are licensed by DHBC. The Notification can be as simple as the following language:

NOTIFICATION TO CONSUMERS DENTAL HYGIENISTS ARE LICENSED AND REGULATED BY THE DENTAL HYGIENE BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
(916) 263-1978
WWW.DHBC.CA.GOV

The following are some acceptable examples of how to make this Notification to your patients. If you practice in a dental office, you may wish to consult with your supervising dentist and/or employer as to what method of notification to use:

• Prominently posting a sign in an area where you practice, that is conspicuous to patients and patient representatives. Making the Notification in at least 48-point type in Arial font will enable most patients to read the Notification.
• Including the Notification in a written statement, signed and dated by the patient or patient’s representative, and kept in that patient’s file, stating the patient understands that you are licensed and regulated by DHBC.
• Including the Notification in a statement on letterhead, care instructions, or other document given to a patient or the patient’s representative, where the Notification is placed immediately above the signature line for the patient. Making the Notification in at least 14-point type will enable most patients to read the Notification.
• You may wish to make the Notification available in other formats to accommodate those patients unable to read the Notification.