DENTAL HYGIENIST EDUCATION - S.B. 1009: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 1009 (as introduced 1-29-02)
Sponsor: Senator Dale L. Shugars
Committee: Health Policy
Date Completed: 1-29-02
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 166 of the Public Health Code, which provides for the licensing and regulation of dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists, to prescribe certain educational requirements for dental hygienists; and allow dental hygienists to administer anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia under certain conditions if particular requirements were met.
Part 166 provides that an individual may not practice as a dental hygienist unless he or she is licensed by the Department of Consumer and Industry Services (DCIS) as a dental hygienist. Under the bill, the DCIS could not issue a dental hygienist's license to an individual unless he or she had graduated from a school or college for dental hygienists that had a dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, and approved by the DCIS. The school or college would have to be accredited by a regional accrediting agency for colleges, universities, or institutions of higher education that was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and approved by the DCIS; and would have to conduct a curriculum consisting of at least two academic years for dental hygiene graduation with courses at the appropriate level to enable matriculation into a more advanced academic degree program.
The bill would allow a dental hygienist to administer block and infiltration anesthesia or nitrous oxide analgesia, or both, as delegated by a dentist and under the direct supervision of the dentist. Further, to administer these substances, a dental hygienist would have to show evidence of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and have successfully completed a State or regional board-administered didactic examination on local and nitrous oxide pain control within 18 months of the completion of required course work. In addition, the dental hygienist would have to have successfully completed a course in the administration of both local anesthetic and nitrous oxide analgesia offered by a dental or dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and approved by the DCIS. The course would have to contain a minimum of 15 hours didactic and 14 hours of clinical study. The courses of instruction would have to include content in the theory of pain control; selection of pain control modalities; anatomy; neurophysiology; pharmacology of local anesthetics; pharmacology of vasoconstrictors; pharmacology of nitrous oxide; psychological aspects of pain control; systemic complications; armamentarium/basic technique; techniques of maxillary anesthesia; techniques of mandibular anesthesia; supplemental injection techniques; nitrous oxide techniques; infection control; and local anesthesia/nitrous medical emergencies.
Application for certification in the administration of local anesthesia and nitrous oxide would be at the discretion of each individual dental hygienist.
MCL 333.16611 - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
- Fiscal Analyst: M. TyszkiewiczS0102\s1009sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.