Awareness of Registered Dental Assistant Scope in a California Dental School

Background Registered dental assistants (RDAs) play a critical role in dental team efficiency and patient care; however, a misunderstanding of their legally defined scope of practice may lead to inefficient delegation, legal risk, and suboptimal team-based care. Limited data exist on awareness of RDA role limitations among dental students, residents, and faculty in academic dental institutions. Because RDA duties vary by state, this study specifically examined California scope-of-practice awareness at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.Methods A cross-sectional survey of 188 participants - dental students, residents, and faculty - at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD) was conducted using a 20-item questionnaire. Each question was based on permitted duties defined by the Dental Board of California and offered three response options: “yes,” “no,” and “unaware.” Descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Dunn’s post-hoc tests were performed to assess group differences.Results Significant differences in awareness levels were found among the three groups (p < 0.001). Faculty consistently demonstrated a higher level of awareness compared to students and residents. Dunn’s tests showed significant pairwise differences between faculty and students and between faculty and residents. Faculty had the highest median number of correct answers and students had the lowest.Conclusion The findings highlight varying levels of knowledge regarding RDA scope of practice. Improving awareness among dental professionals, particularly students and residents, could lead to enhanced collaboration, clearer role delegation, and improved patient care. These findings may inform both academic training and clinical practice in California dental offices.Practical Implication This study demonstrates that limited awareness of RDA scope of practice, particularly among dental students and residents, may negatively impact clinical efficiency, legal compliance, and team-based patient care. Inadequate understanding of RDA roles can lead to inappropriate task delegation, underutilization of dental auxiliaries, increased workload for dentists, and potential scope-of-practice violations. These findings underscore the need for earlier and more explicit integration of RDA roles and legal limitations into dental curricula. Incorporating structured instruction, clinical orientation sessions, and interprofessional learning experiences involving dental assistants may promote clearer role delineation and improved collaboration. Enhancing awareness of RDA responsibilities has the potential to optimize workflow, support regulatory adherence, and ultimately improve patient safety and quality of care in both academic and private practice settings.