Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
Part XXXIII - Dental Health Profession
Chapter 7 - Dental Hygienists
Section XXXIII-710 - Administration of Local Anesthesia for Dental Purposes

A. After satisfying the board of his or her competence to administer local anesthesia, a licensed dental hygienist may qualify for a special endorsement to administer local anesthesia for dental procedures under the direct on-premises supervision of a licensed dentist.

B. Competence to administer local anesthesia must be demonstrated to the board by successful completion of a course of study of at least 32 hours of instruction in a formal program in administration of local anesthesia sponsored by an institutional program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the board. A certificate of course completion and a copy of the syllabus must be submitted to the board for approval. The course must include didactic studies and clinical experience in the administration of long buccal, maxillary and mandibular infiltration anesthesia, mental block anesthesia, lingual nerve block, inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia, medical history and physical evaluation of the patient, and the prevention, diagnosis, and management of medical emergencies which can be encountered in the dental patient. A minimum of 20 satisfactory injections is required.

C. The curriculum for required study must include, but is not necessarily limited to:

D. The applicant must pass the board approved written examination in the administration of local anesthesia, depending upon the circumstances, if deemed necessary by the board.

E. A dental hygienist who has been licensed and trained in a course equivalent to §710.B and C to administer local anesthesia in another state may qualify, at the discretion of the board, to be permitted to administer local anesthesia in Louisiana by presenting written documentation of such licensure and training to the board and documentation of experience. Factors to be considered are whether the dental hygienist had satisfactorily completed a course at a dental hygiene school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation or by having successfully completed a continuing education course in local anesthesia comparable to the requirements set forth in §710.B and C.

F. The permit to administer local anesthesia shall expire with the expiration of the dental hygienist's license to practice dental hygiene.

G. A licensed dental hygienist who has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board may qualify for a special endorsement and may undertake the administration of local anesthesia by:

H. Any hygienist who is not certified by the state of Louisiana in local anesthesia and who performs such a procedure is subject to severe sanctions up to and including revocation of his/her license. The dentist under whose instructions he/she performed the procedure will be subject to severe sanctions up to and including revocation of the dentist's license.