Tuesday, Aug 11, 2015

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is set to launch a new computer licensing system for dentists, hygienists and assistants at year's end.

Known as the BreEZe system, it will allow dental professionals to apply for or renew their licenses online, pay with a credit card, track the status of an application or licensing request, submit address changes and obtain proof of license status. BreEZe also enables consumers to verify a professional license and file consumer complaints.

The Dental Board of California anticipates a transition period during which licensure renewals will be interrupted when BreEZe is activated ("goes live") sometime between Dec. 22 and Jan. 6.  This means that the board will be unable to process any licensing requests for approximately five days prior to the "go live" date. As a precaution, the board urges dentists and registered dental assistants whose licenses expire in December 2015 or January 2016 to mail in their renewals as soon as they receive notification. Renewal notices are mailed 90 days prior to licensure expiration, so these notifications should be received during the first week in October for December renewals and early November for January renewals.

BreEZe became available for physicians, nurses and a limited number of other California licensed professionals in 2013, at which time numerous issues were identified for correction. DCA has been working to address these concerns prior to the second phase launch, which has resulted in a delayed timeline and significant budget overruns. As the licensing boards are responsible for the costs associated with the BreEZe system, CDA has urged DCA and the Legislature to work to find a solution to funding and finishing this project that minimizes the impact on licensees, especially in the wake of the significant rise in dental licensure fees that just occurred.

 For more information on BreEZe, visit dca.ca.gov.