HF1712 Summary

• Modified requirements for dental hygienists in collaborative community practice by removing the 2,400-hour experience requirement and simplifying credential verification to either 2,400 hours in past 18 months or 3,000 career hours with 200 hours in two of past three years.

• Expanded scope of services for dental hygienists in community settings to include local anesthetic injections and nitrous oxide administration as delegated in the collaborative agreement, without requiring prior patient examination by a dentist.

• Established new collaborative practice authorization for licensed dental assistants in community settings to perform preventive services including oral health education, vital sign measurement, fluoride application, polishing, charting, and radiographs under general supervision of a dentist without prior patient examination.

• Limited collaborating dentists to supervising no more than four dental hygienists and two dental assistants unless otherwise authorized by the board, with board authority to develop parameters for exceeding these limits.

• Expanded definition of eligible "health care facility, program, or nonprofit organization" settings to include medical facilities, assisted living facilities, federally qualified health centers, and other community clinics serving uninsured or publicly-insured patients.