W. Va. Code R. § 5-13-5 - Expanded duties of Dental Hygienists

Current through Register Vol. XXXIX, No. 11, March 18, 2022

5.1. Expanded duties of dental hygienists. In addition to and including those duties set forth in subsection 4.1 of this section, the following duties and/or intraoral tasks may be assigned by a licensed dentist to a dental hygienist in the licensed dentist's employment:

(1) Supra - and subgingival scaling of teeth;

(2) Polishing of coronal and/or exposed surfaces of teeth;

(3) Dental health education;

(4) Nutritional counseling;

(5) Recording periodontal findings;

(6) Scaling excessive cement from the surfaces of teeth and restorations;

(7) Performing screenings and diagnostic tests of teeth and surrounding tissues and recording findings for interpretation by a supervising dentist ( including such procedures as restorative chartings, caries activity test, cytology smears, salivary analysis and smears, vitality test, etc.);

(8) Placing of subgingival medicaments, fibers, chips, etc.;

(9) Finishing and polishing restorations with a slow speed hand piece;

(10) Debridement and/or root planing of teeth;

(11) Applying bleaching agents after successful completion of a board-approved course;

(12) Placing periodontal dressings with a final evaluation by the supervising dentist; and

(13) Administration of infiltration and block anesthesia after successful completion of a board-approved course and of a regional board examination and under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

Notes

W. Va. Code R. § 5-13-5