The Division of Continuing Dental Education is pleased to offer a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) program. Led by Elena Francisco, RDHAP, MS, this online program is designed for dental hygienists interested in expanding their knowledge and ability to treat people with complex physical, medical or psychological needs and patients in underserved communities. It has been approved by the Dental Hygiene Board of California to satisfy the 150-hour education requirement needed to apply for an RDHAP license in California.The virtual program, offered twice each year, consists of live, interactive webinars, online modules and a field of study.
Get answers to all your questions about the RDHAP program here.
Led by Elena Francisco, RDHAP, MS, this online program is designed for dental hygienists interested in expanding their knowledge and ability to treat people with complex physical, medical or psychological needs and patients in underserved communities. It fulfills the Dental Hygiene Board of California's 150-hour education requirement needed to apply for an RDHAP license.
This virtual program, offered twice a year, consists of live interactive webinars, online modules and a field of study, and is designed to reach professionals in both urban and rural areas. The live interactive webinars enable students to meet their peers and instructors virtually.
Primary topic areas covered in this program include: dental hygiene practice and theory; treating medically complex patients, geriatric patients and children with and without special needs; oral pathology; pharmacology; information management; developmental disabilities and oral health care; medical and dental emergencies; and business administration for dental hygienists.
The Dugoni School of Dentistry program is open to any oral health professional interested in oral health for people with complex needs and is not limited to individuals who will be applying for the RDHAP license. This program provides 150 hours of continuing education credit. Some states limit the amount of online credits that are counted for license renewal. Please check your state licensing board regulations.
The RDHAP license is granted by the Dental Hygiene Board of California. Requirements and application procedures are listed on their website. Requirements to apply for the RDHAP license are:
Your eligibility for the RDHAP license needs to be confirmed with the Dental Hygiene Board of California. The Dugoni School of Dentistry provides the continuing education course only. It is the student's responsibility to confirm if college units and foreign-trained dental provider degrees are eligible for licensing purposes. It is the student's responsibility to confirm this with the DHBC and students are encouraged to do this prior to enrollment in the course.
Note that the 150-hour educational RDHAP program can be taken at any time and does not require the completion of the other requirements listed above. The RDHAP license may be applied for at any time after completion of this course, when the other requirements outlined above have been satisfied. For inquiries about requirements for or applying for the RDHAP license, please contact the Dental Hygiene Board of California.
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