SECTION 195:15-1-6. Procedures that may be delegated to dental hygienists

(a)   Dental hygienists, having been issued a certificate of ability by the Board, which is a license to practice dental hygiene in the State of Oklahoma, may provide dental hygiene services pursuant to their education, which has a minimum of two academic years of dental hygiene curriculum, and has been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.

(b)   A dentist may delegate to a licensed and registered dental hygienist the following procedures:

(1)   The procedures and expanded duties authorized for dental assistants as set forth in 195:15-1-3 and 195:15-1-4.;

(2)   The procedures set forth in 59 O.S., Section 328.34;

(3)   Health history assessment pertaining to dental hygiene;

(4)   Dental hygiene examination and the charting of intra-oral and extra-oral conditions, which include periodontal charting, dental charting, and classifying occlusion;

(5)   Dental hygiene assessment and treatment planning for procedures authorized by the supervisory dentist;

(6)   Prophylaxis, which means the removal of calcareous deposits, stains, accretions, or concretions from the supragingival and subgingival surfaces of the teeth utilizing instrumentation by scaler or periodontal curette on the crown and root surfaces of human teeth, including rotary or power driven instruments. (This section shall not be construed to prohibit the use of a rubber cup or brush on the crowns of human teeth by a dental assistant, who holds a current expanded duty permit for Coronal Polishing/Topical Fluoride issued by the Board.);

(7)   Periodontal scaling and root planing;

(8)   Dental hygiene nutritional and dietary evaluation;

(9)   Placement of subgingival prescription drugs for prevention and treatment of periodontal disease;

(10)   Soft tissue curettage;

(11)   Placement of temporary fillings;

(12)   Removal of overhanging margins;

(13)   Dental implant maintenance;

(14)   Removal of periodontal packs, and;

(15)   Polishing of amalgam restorations.

(c)   The procedures specified in (b) may be performed by a dental hygienist only on a patient of record and only under the supervision of a dentist. The level of supervision, whether direct, indirect or general, shall be at the discretion of the supervisory dentist.

(d)   Except as provided in 195:15-1-4, the procedures specified in (b), (2) through (15) may be performed only by a dental hygienist or a dentist.

(e)   A dental hygienist shall not own or operate an independent practice of dental hygiene.

[Source: Amended at 9 Ok Reg 1963, eff 6-11-92; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 2200, eff 7-1-98]