The California Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is requesting Governor Newsom to execute a postponement on our state license renewal during the COVID-19 crisis. Governor Newsom’s “stay-at-home”order has ceased multiple in-person continuing education courses a registered dental hygienist (RDH) is required to take such as the mandated Basic Life Support (BLS). With his executed statewide order that has produced financial hardships for many RDHs, and the unavailable means to obtain necessary continuing education units (CEUs) for renewal, it is imperative that our renewals be postponed, allowing us sufficient time to acquire necessary CEUs once the “stay at home” order has been lifted.

We at CDHA support you and want your voice to be heard! Sign this petition and show Governor Newsom that we are CDHA strong.

Governor Newsom,

I am a state board Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) and a proud California resident. Apart from dentists, RDHs are healthcare providers with a discipline in dental hygiene. In order for us to maintain our licensure with the Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC), we are required to complete a minimum of 25 units of continuing education courses (CEUs) during a two year period. These CEUs include: 2 units of mandatory infection control, 2 units of mandatory California dental practice act, and 4 units of basic life support (an in-person ONLY course). Our hygienists rely on these courses put on by our 26 local components and the California Dental Association (CDA) every year. Due to our current conditions of COVID-19, local components have cancelled future CEUs and CDA has cancelled their annual session that normally offers a weekend-full of courses.

Your “Stay-at-Home” order released days ago specifies that gatherings be postponed or cancelled, including conferences. I am writing to you in hopes that you mandate a postponement for license renewals for registered dental hygienists to our Dental Hygiene Board of California, granting us more time to complete our renewal requirements, and allowing us to maintain our licenses through this crisis.

Thank you for your leadership.