California RDH Law and Ethics Exam Complete Practice Test

Reporting to the Dental Board of California is crucial in situations involving a significant adverse event. This includes any incident that causes or could cause harm to a patient, such as serious complications arising from a procedure, medication errors, or any other situation that results in substantial negative impacts on a patient’s health or wellbeing. The rationale for mandatory reporting is to ensure the safety and welfare of patients and to maintain the standards of the dental hygiene profession.

Encounters of this nature are taken very seriously, as they have the potential to affect the quality of care and could indicate systemic issues that may need to be addressed through additional training, policy changes, or disciplinary measures. By reporting such events, dental hygienists contribute to the continuous improvement of patient safety and the overall integrity of the profession.

Other scenarios, such as a patient refusing treatment or a dental assistant making a mistake, may warrant internal discussion or review but do not necessarily rise to the level of requiring reporting to the Dental Board. Reports concerning challenging interactions with patients are also more about interpersonal dynamics than patient safety and do not trigger a reporting obligation.