HB2473 Summary

• Adds dental hygiene assessment and dental hygiene treatment planning as authorized functions for licensed dental hygienists, defined as identifying existing or potential oral health problems and performing a prioritized sequence of dental hygiene interventions within their scope of practice.

• Establishes that dental hygiene assessment and treatment planning must be components of a diagnosis and treatment plan developed by a dentist.

• Renumbers existing provisions in dental hygienist scope of practice regulations to accommodate new dental hygiene assessment and planning functions.

• Allows expanded function dental assistants to place interim therapeutic restorations under general supervision and direction of a licensed dentist when conducted through teledentistry consultation.

• Permits licensed dental hygienists to engage in expanded functions (placement, contouring, and finishing of direct restorations or placement and cementation of prefabricated crowns) after completing equivalent course of study and examination as required for expanded function dental assistants.