Current through Register Vol. 6, March 22, 2024
(1)
Dental auxiliaries may work under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist
per ARM
24.138.301
if the auxiliary:
(a) was instructed and
qualified to perform in a dental assisting program accredited by the Commission
on Dental Accreditation or its successor; or
(b) was instructed and trained by a licensed dentist; or
(c) was instructed and trained in
a board-approved continuing education course.
(2) A certified dental assistant may work
under the general supervision of a licensed dentist per ARM
24.138.301.
(3) A dental auxiliary
working under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist per ARM
24.138.301
may perform the following dental procedures including, but not limited to:
(a) making radiographic exposures as
prescribed by the supervising dentist as referenced in (12);
(b) initiating, adjusting, and monitoring
nitrous oxide flow for a patient who has been prescribed and administered
nitrous oxide by a licensed dentist;
(c) taking impressions for study or working casts;
(d) removing sutures and
dressings;
(e) applying topical
anesthetic agents;
(f) providing
oral health instructions;
(g)
applying topical fluoride agents;
(h) removing excess cement from coronal surfaces;
(i) placing and removing rubber
dams;
(j) placing and removing
matrices;
(k) collecting patient
data;
(l) polishing amalgam
restorations;
(m) placing and
removing temporary restoration with hand instruments only;
(n) placing pit and fissure sealants;
and
(o) coronal
polishing.
(4) A
certified dental assistant working under the general supervision of a licensed
dentist per ARM
24.138.301
is prohibited from performing the following functions:
(a) initiating, adjusting, and monitoring nitrous oxide flow for a
patient who has been prescribed and administered nitrous oxide by a licensed
dentist;
(b) applying silver
diamine fluoride agents;
(c)
placing and removing rubber dams;
(d) placing and removing matrices;
(e) polishing amalgam restorations; and
(f) applying topical anesthetic
agents.
(5) A certified
dental assistant working under the general supervision of a licensed dentist
may place pit and fissure sealants following an in-person comprehensive oral
examination or periodic examination within the preceding 30 days.
(6) Dental auxiliaries performing any
intraoral procedure must be under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist,
except that a certified dental assistant may work under the general supervision
of a licensed dentist.
(7) No
dentist shall allow any dental auxiliary to perform the following:
(a) diagnosis and treatment planning as per
37-4-401,
MCA;
(b) cutting hard or soft
tissue or extracting teeth;
(c)
prescribing any drugs as per
37-4-401,
MCA;
(d) administering or
dispensing any drug, without the prior authorization of the supervising
dentist;
(e) administering
intravenous and intramuscular injections or local anesthetic;
(f) placing, carving, or condensing any
permanent restorations;
(g) taking
final impressions of the involved arch for crowns, bridges, implant prosthesis,
partial dentures, or complete dentures;
(h) bonding or cementing any fixed prosthesis, including veneers,
except for provisionals;
(i)
bonding or cementing orthodontic brackets or orthodontic appliances that would
provide activation upon cementation;
(j) placing sulcular medicinal or therapeutic materials;
(k) periodontal probing;
(l) air polishing; or
(m) prophylaxis as defined in ARM
24.138.301.
(8) Dentists
shall not delegate to dental auxiliaries any duties or responsibilities
regarding patient care that cannot be delegated to dental auxiliaries under
37-4-408,
MCA, and board rules.
(9) The
assignment of tasks and procedures to dental auxiliaries shall not relieve the
dentist from liability for all treatment rendered the patient.
(10) A dentist shall not employ, supervise
or otherwise use more dental auxiliaries than the dentist can reasonably
supervise in keeping with the dentist's ethical and professional
responsibilities.
(11) The
employing dentist shall verify that a dental auxiliary's qualifications comply
with the statutes and rules of the board.
(12) A dentist licensed to use or direct the use of an x-ray
producing device must ensure that the radiation source under the dentist's
jurisdiction is used only by individuals competent to use it, as per ARM
37.14.1003.
Only a licensed dentist may prescribe radiation dosage and exposure.
(a) A dental auxiliary, under the direct
supervision of a licensed dentist, may expose radiographs only if the
auxiliary:
(i) has graduated from an
accredited program of dental assisting, dental hygiene, or dentistry accredited
by the Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor; or
(ii) has been certified in dental radiology
as a result of military experience; or
(iii) has successfully completed a board-approved radiology
written examination.
(b)
A certified dental assistant may expose radiographs under the general
supervision of a licensed dentist.
(c) For dental auxiliaries beginning work in Montana after January
1, 2016, radiology certification from other states will no longer be accepted,
with the exception of a board-approved written examination. Dental auxiliaries
who acquired radiology certification in other states and were employed as
dental auxiliaries in Montana prior to January 1, 2016, will be
grandfathered.
(13) Proof
of current certification must be readily available for review by the public or
the board upon request.
AUTH:
37-4-205,
37-4-408,
MCA IMP:
37-4-408,
MCA