Dental Hygienists Administering Dental Anesthesia
A licensed dental hygienist may administer local anesthesia, limited to infiltration and mandibular blocks, under the indirect supervision of a licensed dentist, provided the dental hygienist can demonstrate, upon the Department's request, successful completion of a course of instruction containing basic and current concepts of local anesthesia and pain control in a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA), or its successor organization, that includes: (1) Twenty hours of didactic training, including, but not limited to, the psychology of pain management; a review of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology of anesthetic agents, emergency precautions and management, and client management; instruction on the safe and effective administration of anesthetic agents; and (2) eight hours of clinical training which includes the direct observation of the performance of procedures. Please note that there is no additional certification or license issued to the dental hygienist by the Department of Public Health. The dental hygienist shall maintain documentation of completion of the requirements outlined above and shall provide such documentation to the Department upon request.
Indirect supervision means a licensed dentist authorizes and prescribes the use of local anesthesia for a patient and remains in the dental office or other location where the services are being performed by the dental hygienist.
A licensed dental hygienist shall in no event perform the following dental services: (1) Diagnosis for dental procedures or dental treatment; (2) the cutting or removal of any hard or soft tissue or suturing; (3) the prescribing of drugs or medication which require the written or oral order of a licensed dentist or physician; (4) the administration of parenteral, inhalation or general anesthetic agents in connection with any dental operative procedure; (5) the taking of any impression of the teeth or jaws or the relationship of the teeth or jaws for the purpose of fabricating any appliance or prosthesis; (6) the placing, finishing and adjustment of temporary or final restorations, capping materials and cement bases.