Program Overview
Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions (RDAEF)
One of the leading dental schools in the world, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry offers an Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions (RDAEF) program for licensed RDAs and RDAEFs in California. This comprehensive program satisfies the Dental Board of California’s requirements for preparing RDAs and existing RDAEFs for extended functions licensure. Our program goes above and beyond the board’s requirements for instructional time to ensure participants receive the highest quality training and education available today and to prepare them for these new responsibilities. Held at the Dugoni School of Dentistry’s state-of-the-art campus in San Francisco, this in-person program will be led by dental faculty members from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Participants will receive the same outstanding quality of education that predoctoral students receive at our premier dental school.
- A comprehensive program with 410/342 hours of instruction, combining in-person lectures, online modules, group discussions, hands-on laboratory and live patient clinical experiences
- Certification programs for both RDAs and existing RDAEFs at a fully-accredited dental school
- Personalized instruction led by dental faculty members from the Dugoni School of Dentistry
- The only Dental Board of California-approved provider of the RDAEF program at a dental school in Northern California
- Interest-free payment plans are available to qualified candidates
- Funding available to qualified individuals through the Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan® program. Please visit the Sallie Mae website for more information.
- Convenient weekend schedule at the Dugoni School of Dentistry's state-of-the-art campus in downtown San Francisco
Program for RDAs
This 410-hour program trains and prepares currently licensed RDAs for the California State Board exam for extended functions. The program is a combination of in-person lectures, group discussions, online modules, hands-on laboratory and live patient clinical experiences. Faculty members include: Brian Kenyon, DMD; Leann Miller, RDAEF; and Maggie Rodriguez, RDAEF. RDAs successfully completing this program will be able to perform all the new procedures in extended functions which include:
- Performing patient oral health evaluations, charting and evaluating of soft tissue, classifying occlusion and myofunctional evaluation
- Performing oral health assessments in community and school-based settings under the direction of a dentist, RDH or RDHAP
- Sizing and fitting endodontic master points and accessory points
- Making final impressions for tooth-borne removable prostheses
- Polishing and contouring existing amalgam restorations
- Placing, contouring, finishing and adjusting all direct restorations
- Adjusting and cementing permanent indirect restorations
Additionally, participants will be trained to perform:
- Cord retraction and final impressions procedures for indirect restorations
- Fitting and cementing endodontic master points and accessory points
- Making final impressions for permanent indirect restorations
- All other procedures authorized and adopted by the dental board*
*Please see Section 1753.5 of the California Business and Professionals Code
Program for Existing RDAEFs
This 342-hour program updates existing RDAEFs (who were licensed prior to January 1, 2010) in the new, allowable procedures for RDAEFs described above. Participants who successfully complete the program will be eligible to take the new RDAEF exam, and upon successful completion, will be able to perform all the expanded duties of currently licensed California RDAEFs.
Program Length
The program is offered over an eight-month period and is held on various Saturdays and Sundays at the Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. The next session of the program will start on September 13, 2025. Some segments of this program are delivered face-to-face, with a low faculty-to-student ratio, allowing for an exceptional educational experience at the world-renowned Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Prior to formal lectures, preliminary online lectures and quizzes will be required, allowing you to review the upcoming material at your own pace. In addition to the extensive laboratory sessions held at the Dugoni School of Dentistry, you will be required to complete and evaluate home practice assignments, thereby assuring your mastery of the laboratory skills. The dental school faculty members involved in this program will be available to you throughout the duration of the program to help you succeed.
Supervising Dentist
In early 2012, the Dental Board of California implemented a requirement that all new RDAEF students must complete 20 clinical restorations on patients under the supervision of a current licensed dentist in order to complete the RDAEF training and to sit for the board exam. Your supervising dentist or hygienist will also be required to attend a clinical orientation session and must supervise your completion of 6 scheduled cord packing and final impression experiences at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry as part of this program. A dentist may supervise up to 3 students. Current RDAEFs will not need a supervising dentist as they will not be participating in this part of the curriculum.
