Actions a new dentist should take once they have obtained their California dental license, and regulatory and legal considerations of which every dentist must be aware.

Common scenarios and guidelines for pay requirements for employee meetings and continuing education events.

Answers to questions about complying with Cal/OSHA regulations, HIPAA, regulated waste management and radiation safety.

Answers to frequently asked questions on patient payments, collections and dental benefit plans.

Answers to questions on a dentist’s obligation to patients with regard to examination, diagnosis and treatment; communication; access to records; their unique concerns and more.

Provides answers to a series of questions related to employment laws or requirements. Employers are obligated to understand and comply with these laws.

Contains answers to frequently asked questions about the CDPA and compliance.

This Chapter addresses Practice Considerations including but not limited to: Business Structures, Licences & Permits, Contracts, Antitrust, Malpractice, Tax Issues, Office Design and Marketing.

Effective January 1, 2023, the State of California is now requiring all employer's to offer a retirement plan to their staff. 

An overview of how to use the complete guide, what laws apply to dentistry and how they work, and what CDA's attorneys can do for you.

Term and termination; liability; referrals; utilization review; grievance system

Although the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 nonemergency regulation has expired, the Jan. 9, 2024 state Public Health Officer Order remains in place as does the Jan. 10, 2025 CDPH Interim Work Exclusion Guidance for Healthcare Personnel with COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections. Dental practices should continue to exclude employees with, or suspected of having, a respiratory viral infection.

When buying a dental practice, the patient chart audit is a critical part of both the due diligence process and your potential for long-term success. The audit allows you to visually validate the reports presented by the seller and should be conducted in collaboration with a dental CPA, dental attorney or consultant. This resource provides a list of essential elements to review when auditing patient charts.

Lists posters required at dental offices and required pamphlets. Poster sets are distributed to practice owners biennially. This resource is part of the Regulatory Compliance Manual. Updated January 2024.

Key information for health care professionals on vaccination and prevention of the flu.

Links to external resources.

Review the instructions for recommendations on how to best implement this program in your practice. Also download a table of contents for your binder.

Due to ongoing concern with transmission of airborne illnesses, a dental practice should review updated CDPH and CDC guidance on facility ventilation and air quality.

Wearing a facemask is optional for patients and visitors but is encouraged during the respiratory virus season.

Use this form when an employee reports symptoms, exposure, or a positive test for COVID-19 to help track the incident. This continues to be required until Feb. 3, 2026.

Utilize this resource to help navigate excess cancellations and lost production during an unexpected catastrophic event.

Developed to be used specifically in a dental practice this template reflects policies in the areas of discrimination, harassment and retaliation prevention and training requirements, pregnancy disability leave, meal and rest break requirements and more. Updated for 2025.

Are you a recent graduate and looking for your first practice to work in? Are you a practice owner and looking to hire a great associate? Watch a panel of experts from CDA, HR for Health and associate dentist Dr. Joy Magtanong-Madrid, discuss effective hiring and onboarding of associate dentists. We not only discuss interview preparation and how to determine if the environment is the right fit for an associate dentist, but also provide insight for practice owners on what recently graduating associates are looking for in their future work environment.

An overview of dental practice responsibilities under Americans with Disabilities Act and state disability laws. 

Unexpected emergencies can affect your practice and your employees. Below are a few common scenarios employers should know about paying and scheduling their California employees.

An employee emergency contact form is an onboarding form that employees can fill out to provide you with their emergency contact information in the event of a practice emergency. Employees may also provide any other information that they think you might need to know in case of an emergency, such as food allergies or allergies to any medications.

Keep this form organized in your employee confidential personnel records and review and update annually.