Pennsylvania Code
Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS
Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS
Chapter 33 - STATE BOARD OF DENTISTRY
Subchapter C - MINIMUM STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND PRACTICE
Section 33.205 - Practice as a dental hygienist
Universal Citation: 49 PA Code ยง 33.205
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) Scope of professional practice. A dental hygienist may offer to perform or perform services that involve:
(1) Placement of subgingival
agents.
(2) Periodontal probing,
scaling, root planning, polishing or another procedure required to remove
calculus deposits, accretions, excess or flash restorative materials and stains
from the exposed surfaces of the teeth and beneath the gingiva.
(3) Evaluation of the patient to collect data
to identify dental hygiene care needs.
(4) The application of fluorides and other
recognized topical agents for the prevention of oral diseases.
(5) Conditioning of teeth for and application
of sealants.
(6) Taking of
impressions of the teeth for athletic appliances.
(7) Administration of local anesthesia by
regional injection in accordance with §
33.115 (relating to local
anesthesia permit).
(b) Prohibition against independent practice. A dental hygienist is prohibited from establishing or maintaining an office or other workplace for the provision of dental hygiene services separate or independent from the office or other workplace in which the supervision of a dentist is provided.
(c) Practice sites. A dental hygienist may engage in professional practice at the following sites under the supervision of a dentist as required in subsection (d):
(1) In dental facilities.
(2) In public or private institutions such as
schools, hospitals, public health care agencies, nursing homes, mobile health
units and homes for juveniles, the elderly and the handicapped.
(3) In institutions under the jurisdiction of
Federal, State or local health agencies.
(d) Supervision.
(1) In subsection (c)(1) practice sites
(dental facilities), a dental hygienist shall provide professional services as
follows:
(i) A dental hygienist may provide
the professional services identified in subsection (a)(1) under the direct
supervision of a dentist, except that these services may be provided under
general supervision if the dentist has reviewed the patient's dental records
and medical history and has written a prescription or given an order for the
placement of subgingival agents by the dental hygienist.
(ii) A dental hygienist may provide the
professional services identified in subsection (a)(2) under the general
supervision of a dentist when the patient is free of systemic disease or
suffers from mild systemic disease, as determined by the dentist with input
from the dental hygienist and upon review of the patient's medical
history.
(iii) A dental hygienist
may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(2) under the
direct supervision of a dentist when the patient is suffering from systemic
disease which is severe, incapacitating, or life threatening, as determined by
the dentist with input from the dental hygienist and upon review of the
patient's medical history.
(iv) A
dental hygienist may provide the professional services identified in subsection
(a)(3)-(6) under the general supervision of a dentist.
(v) A dental hygienist may provide the
professional services identified in subsection (a)(7) only under the direct
supervision of a dentist. For purposes of this subparagraph, direct supervision
means supervision by a dentist who has examined the patient and authorized the
procedure to be performed, is physically present in the dental facility and
available during the performance of the procedure, and takes full professional
responsibility for the completed procedure.
(2) In subsection (c)(2) and (3) practice
sites (public and private institutions and institutions under the jurisdiction
of Federal, State or local health agencies), a dental hygienist shall provide
professional services as follows:
(i) A dental
hygienist may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(1)
under the direct supervision of a dentist, except that these services may be
provided under general supervision if a dentist has reviewed the patient's
dental records and medical history and has written a prescription or given an
order for the placement of subgingival agents by the dental
hygienist.
(ii) A dental hygienist
may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(2)-(6) under
the general supervision of a dentist. For the purposes of this paragraph,
general supervision is defined as supervision by a dentist who authorizes and
takes full professional responsibility for the provision of the services. A
single authorization may, when appropriate, apply to one or more classes or
categories of students/patients.
(iii) A dental hygienist may provide the
professional service identified in subsection (a)(7) only under the direct
supervision of a dentist. For purposes of this subparagraph, direct supervision
means supervision by a dentist who has examined the patient and authorized the
procedure to be performed, is physically present and available during the
performance of the procedure, and takes full professional responsibility for
the completed procedure.
(3) For professional services not identified
in subsection (a)(1)-(7) or §
33.302 (relating to requirements
for personnel performing radiologic procedures), the dentist shall compare the
listed services and the supervision required with the unlisted service and
utilize the appropriate supervision. Supervision for noncomparable services
will be determined by the Board on a modality basis.
(4) Notwithstanding the supervision
requirements in this subsection, a dental hygienist may provide oral health
education and perform preliminary dental screenings in any setting without the
supervision of a dentist.
The provisions of this §33.205 amended under section 3(d), (j.2) and (o) of The Dental Law (63 P. S. § 122(d), (j.2) and (o)).
This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 33.1 (relating to definitions); 49 Pa. Code § 33.110 (relating to volunteer license); and 49 Pa. Code § 33.205b (relating to practice as a public health dental hygiene practitioner).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Pennsylvania may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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