HI HB565

Clarifies that dental assistants employed by licensed dentists must work under the dentist's direct supervision and may perform supportive procedures including assisting with dental operations, taking radiographs, making impressions for study casts and orthodontic appliances, and recording patient information.

Establishes 16 specific allowed duties for dental assistants, including preparing procedural trays, retracting oral tissues, mixing dental materials, placing non-aerosol topical anesthetics, and removing dressing and sutures.

Prohibits dental assistants from performing 16 irreversible or invasive procedures including administering anesthesia, placing final restorations, performing endodontic procedures, extracting teeth, and applying preventive chemical agents to tooth surfaces.

Requires dental assistants to receive training in sterilization and disinfection procedures (meeting OSHA, CDC, and ADA guidelines), ethics, patient confidentiality and recordkeeping, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, provided by board-approved programs or licensed dentists.

Prevents board rules from allowing dental assistant duties that would infringe upon, overlap with, or conflict with the scope of practice for licensed dental hygienists; effective July 1, 2017.