Section 1645.

(a) Effective with the 1974 license renewal period, if the board determines that the public health and safety would be served by requiring all holders of licenses under this chapter to continue their education after receiving a license, it may require, as a condition to the renewal thereof, that they submit assurances satisfactory to the board that they will, during the succeeding two-year period, inform themselves of the developments in the practice of dentistry occurring since the original issuance of their licenses by pursuing one or more courses of study satisfactory to the board or by other means deemed equivalent by the board.

The board shall adopt regulations providing for the suspension of the licenses at the end of the two-year period until compliance with the assurances provided for in this section is accomplished.

(b) The board may also, as a condition of license renewal, require licentiates to successfully complete a portion of the required continuing education hours in specific areas adopted in regulations by the board. The board may prescribe this mandatory coursework within the general areas of patient care, health and safety, and law and ethics. The mandatory coursework prescribed by the board shall not exceed fifteen hours per renewal period for dentists, and seven and one-half hours per renewal period for dental auxiliaries. Any mandatory coursework required by the board shall be credited toward the continuing education requirements established by the board pursuant to subdivision (a).

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 400, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)