Resources

A new year means updated regulations to keep your practice in compliance. Get the latest on electronic prescribing, C.E. certificates and license renewal in this quarter’s Practice Health Check.

Evaluate your employment practices including employee licensure and training cycles, performance management and get ahead of the California CalSavers Retirement Savings Program mandate.

Employee meal and rest breaks, leaves of absence, and other employment matters are the focus during the first quarter of 2023. CDA members are invited to take the Q1 Practice Health Check consisting of just three questions.

Just like you need to make sure your heating system is maintained and ready for the season ahead, examining your dental benefit billing habits on a regular basis is sound management.

Encourage vaccination with this flyer from the CDC.

Studies show employee retention increases when employers invest in the initial first months of employment. Doing reviews at the first 30, 60, and 90 days of an employee's tenure with a practice is a great way to provide them with feedback on their performance, and it offers them the opportunity to tell you what is going well and where they need help. Use this form to conduct and document 30-60-90-day reviews with your new employee.  

Dental practices must have this Cal/OSHA regulation available to employees. This copy is Appendix 2 of the Regulatory Compliance Manual.  Updated Sept 2019.

This training guides staff through the state and HIPAA requirements for providing access. Instructions on staff presentation are included.

It is required to notify dental plans of a new provider treating patients in the office.  This resource provides information and a sample letter that can be customized and printed on office letterhead when informing dental plans of a new provider.

Tips for reducing employee exposure to air contaminants including formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and nitrous oxide in order not to exceed Cal/OSHA permissible exposure levels.

An overview of the Cal/OSHA requirements for a dental practice to have an air compressor/tank permit.

California launched CalSavers to give employers an easy way to comply with the mandate and help their employees save for retirement.

State law now requires all businesses with five or more employees to facilitate CalSavers if they do not sponsor a retirement plan. Deadlines for employers to comply vary based on the size of business. The deadline for employers with five or more employees is June 30, 2022. Eligible employers with 5 or more employees who have not yet registered, should do so as soon as possible to avoid penalties. Visit CalSavers.com for more information on how to register.

Use these resources when adopting an alternative workweek (AWW) in a dental practice to ensure all details are met and properly reported to the Department of Industrial Relations. Includes checklist, templates and samples for use during AWW implementation.

Information on EPA rule requiring dental practices to install amalgam separators and comply with specific best management practices.  Includes a sample inspection and maintenance log.

A list of best practices and information resources on managing amalgam waste.

California-specific application to help evaluate a candidate’s experience and skills, and information on obtaining authorization for reference checks. 

A recent update to federal law providing additional rights to parents who must express breast milk at work has impacted the federal Minimum Wage poster. Known as the “PUMP” Act (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers), the law impacts employers who are not covered by California’s more expansive protections. Since it came into effect employers must accommodate nursing mothers by, among other things, providing a location other than a bathroom to express breast milk. California has required lactation accommodation for a number of years and requires notices to employees above and beyond poster notice requirements.

This section of the toolkit helps you understand and evaluate your employment choices as an associate, explains the types of dental practices in which associates in California work, and provides information on alternate career options to consider.

What is the next step after you’ve graduated from dental schools? These resources have been designed to help you through the next steps in finding your career path.

This section of the toolkit is provided by The Dentists Insurance Company, a subsidiary of the California Dental Association.

It’s important to protect your personal and professional security at every stage of your career, and having the proper amount of insurance coverage as an associate is no exception. This chapter helps you understand insurance limits and coverage types as well as when and why each is necessary as an associate.

As an associate, there are several ways to structure the relationship between you and the employer. In this resource, we review different options.

Form to be completed by legal guardian to authorize a caretaker (non legal guardian) to accompany a minor to his/her dental appointment. 

This form allows for a non-legal guardian to consent to a minor patient’s treatment. It must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

State requirements for a business that acquires an automated external defibrillator for use on the public.

The advice below was gathered from multiple interviews conducted by CDA staff with CDA dentists who are, or recently were, associates. The members selected for the interviews represent a variety of associateship experiences and backgrounds.