Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) If a
dental radiology course and the course's final examination meet the
requirements of this Rule, the Board will recognize the course and final
examination as satisfying the dental radiology training and equivalency
examination requirements set out in
G.S.
90-29(c)(12).
(b) For the Board to recognize a dental
radiology course and its final examination:
(1) The course shall include at least 7 hours
of didactic, lecture-based instruction and at least 14 hours of laboratory
instruction.
(2) The course
curriculum shall include instruction and training in clinical dental radiology,
in the production and use of dental x-rays, and on digital x-ray equipment. The
course shall enable the student to:
(A)
identify in sequence the steps necessary for operating dental x-ray
equipment;
(B) identify the
requirements of a diagnostic digital image;
(C) differentiate the effect of variations in
amperage, kilo-voltage, distance, and exposure time on the resulting digital
images;
(D) identify the terms used
to measure radiation;
(E) establish
guidelines for maintaining radiation safety and the ALARA ("as low as
reasonably achievable") principle;
(F) follow principles of radiologic health
practices and radiation biology;
(G) identify radiation safety techniques and
monitoring devices;
(H) identify
the parts and identification marks on dental x-ray sensors;
(I) identify and compare intraoral sensors
according to size and customary usage;
(J) identify methods of sensor handling and
storage;
(K) identify and perform
in sequence the steps in processing digital images;
(L) differentiate between preliminary
interpretation and diagnosis of the digital images;
(M) identify the anatomical landmarks of the
face and skull;
(N) identify any
dental radiograph according to its location in the maxilla or mandible, and
position it on a digital image mount;
(O) identify the types of radiographic errors
caused by faulty exposure techniques;
(P) identify the types of radiographic errors
caused by incorrect digital mount positioning and angulation of the central
ray;
(Q) identify the types of
radiographic errors caused by faulty digital processing techniques;
(R) identify the conditions that cause
digital images to be fogged;
(S)
identify the advance preparations necessary before exposing digital
images;
(T) carry out the task of
digital image exposure to completion;
(U) use the paralleling technique to produce
digital images of diagnostic quality addressing contrast, density, and
definition;
(V) explain the
principles of digital imaging and quality assurance;
(W) identify errors when using digital
imaging in technique and processing;
(X) explain the utilization of beam aligning
devices; and
(Y) describe the use
of hand-held radiation exposure devices following guidelines from the Radiation
Protection Section of the Department of Health and Human Services, Radiology
Compliance Branch ("Radiation Protection Section"), which are incorporated by
reference, including subsequent amendments and editions, and are available at
no cost online at www.ncradiation.net/Xray/dentdose.htm.
(3) The laboratory portion of the course
shall have no more than six students per instructor, and shall include practice
on dental radiography manikins. Students shall not practice on peer students
unless the unit is turned off and all requirements of the Board's sterilization
and infection control rule,
21 NCAC
16J .0103, are satisfied. Students shall be
required to achieve a passing score of at least 80 percent on a written
examination on radiation safety prior to taking radiographs.
(4) To complete the course, students shall be
required to achieve a passing score of at least 80 percent on a written
examination upon completion of the didactic, lecture-based portion of the
course and to achieve a passing score of at least 80 percent on a final
laboratory examination. The final laboratory examination shall be conducted on
a manikin and include completion of a full mouth series.
(5) The facility used as the training
location for the course shall:
(A) assume all
overhead costs involved in offering the course;
(B) comply with the Board's rules regarding
sanitation, sterilization, and infection control set out in
21 NCAC
16J, the applicable guidelines of the
Radiation Protection Section, and the OSHA guidelines and standards related to
dentistry, which are incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments
and editions, and are available at no cost online at
www.osha.gov/dentistry/standards;
(C) provide access to a room large enough to
accommodate the number of participants for lecture purposes;
(D) have the number of x-ray machines
necessary based on the course curriculum and enrollment to ensure there are no
more than two students per machine; and
(E) have facilities for digital
radiography.
(6) The
didactic and laboratory portions of the course shall be taught by:
(A) an instructor of dental radiography at an
institution accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation ("CODA"), a
list of which is available at no cost at www.ada.org/coda and is incorporated
by reference, including subsequent amendments and editions; or
(B) an instructor who has received a
certification to teach dental radiography from a CODA-accredited institution,
and has completed three hours of continuing education in the area of radiology
every other year. The continuing education courses shall be offered by
Board-approved continuing education course sponsors as set out in
21 NCAC
16I .0202 or
21 NCAC
16R .0202.
(7) The course sponsor shall provide students
with all supplies.
(8) Course
advertising shall comply with the Board's rules regarding advertisement of
dental services set out in
21 NCAC
16P.
(c) A course sponsor seeking Board
recognition of a dental radiology course shall submit to the Board office:
(1) the course outline, syllabus, and
handouts;
(2) slides and other
lecture materials;
(3) examinations
and grading criteria; and
(4) the
name, resume, and verification of credentials satisfying Subparagraph (b)(6) of
this Rule for all course instructors.
(d) After the course sponsor submits all the
information and documents required by Paragraph (c) of this Rule, the course
will be reviewed by the Board for compliance with this Rule at the next
scheduled Board meeting. The Board may delay reviewing a course until a later
meeting if the Board's workload makes the review impracticable. If the Board
delays reviewing a course, it shall notify the course sponsor. A course shall
be recognized by a majority vote of the Board. A list of recognized courses is
available on the Board's website at www.ncdentalboard.org.
(e) Upon receipt of evidence that a
previously recognized course is not in compliance with this Rule, the Board
will notify the course sponsor in writing of each item of noncompliance. Within
30 days from the date of the notice of noncompliance, the course sponsor shall
provide a written response to the Board office which shall respond to each item
of noncompliance. The response shall provide documentation of corrections made,
and shall show each item is in compliance with this Rule. If the course sponsor
fails to respond or correct noncompliance, the Board's recognition of the
course shall be withdrawn. As of the date recognition is withdrawn, the course
and its examination shall not satisfy the dental radiology training and
equivalency examination requirements set out in
G.S.
90-29(c)(12).
