(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)"Dental Assistant Advisory Committee"--a
committee consisting of dental professionals and educators, created
by the Board under the authority of Tex. Occ. Code §265.005;]
(2)[(3)] "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 the Dental Assistant Advisory Committee] and
set forth in this chapter; and,
(2)Comply with other requirements established by the
SBDE [and the Dental Assistant Advisory Committee].
(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 [identified by the
Dental Assistant Advisory Committee and] 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.
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed
the proposal and found it to be within the state agency's legal authority
to adopt.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of
State on December 9, 2022
TRD-202204907 Lauren Studdard
General Counsel
State Board of Dental Examiners
Earliest possible date of adoption: January 22, 2023
For further information, please call: (512) 305-8910
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