Bus. & Prof. Code, § 1931 · Article 9. Dental Hygienists
Bus. & Prof. Code, § 1931
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) (1) A dental hygienist in alternative practice may provide services to a patient without obtaining written verification that the patient has been examined by a dentist or physician and surgeon licensed to practice in this state.
(2) If the dental hygienist in alternative practice provides services to a patient 18 months or more after the first date that the person provides services to a patient, the person shall obtain written verification that the patient has been examined by a dentist or physician and surgeon licensed to practice in this state. The verification shall include a prescription for dental hygiene services as described in subdivision (b).
(b) A registered dental hygienist in alternative practice may provide dental hygiene services for a patient who presents to the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice a written prescription for dental hygiene services issued by a dentist or physician and surgeon licensed to practice in this state. The prescription shall be valid for a time period based on the dentist’s or physician and surgeon’s professional judgment, but not to exceed two years from the date it was issued.
(c) (1) The dental hygiene board may seek to obtain an injunction against any registered dental hygienist in alternative practice who provides services pursuant to this section, if the dental hygiene board has reasonable cause to believe that the services are being provided to a patient who has not received a prescription for those services from a dentist or physician and surgeon licensed to practice in this state.
(2) Providing services pursuant to this section without obtaining a prescription in accordance with subdivision (b) shall constitute unprofessional conduct on the part of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, and reason for the dental hygiene board to revoke or suspend the license of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice pursuant to Section 1947.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 456, Sec. 25. (SB 786) Effective January 1, 2020.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=1931.
- Text hash
- sha256 e3ad07582316c45b40fd2aed705cb57a2326f3b2c503565aa8da8f38c3d0a0a1
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Business and Professions Code
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Bus. & Prof. Code, § 1931. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Business and Professions Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.