Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07281 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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4	4	LCO No. 4793 1 of 3
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6	6	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7281
7	7	January Session, 2019
8	8	LCO No. 4793
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11	11	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
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13	13
14	14	Introduced by:
15	15	(PH)
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20	20	AN ACT CONCERNING TH E PRACTICE OF DENTAL THERAPY BY
21	21	LICENSED DENTAL HYGI ENISTS.
22	22	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
23	23	Assembly convened:
24	24
25	25	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) As used in this 1
26	26	section: 2
27	27	(1) "General supervision of a licensed dentist" has the same meaning 3
28	28	as provided in section 20-126l of the general statutes; 4
29	29	(2) "Public health facility" has the same meaning as provided in 5
30	30	section 20-126l of the general statutes; 6
31	31	(3) The "practice of dental therapy" means the performance of 7
32	32	educational, preventive and therapeutic services including: (A) 8
33	33	Identification of oral and systemic conditions requiring evaluation or 9
34	34	treatment by dentists, physicians or other healthcare providers and 10
35	35	referrals to such healthcare providers; (B) diagnosis and treatment of 11
36	36	oral diseases and conditions within the dental therapist scope of 12
37	37	practice; (C) comprehensive charting of the oral cavity; (D) oral health 13
38	38	instruction and disease prevention education, including nutritional 14 Raised Bill No. 7281
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42	42	LCO No. 4793 2 of 3
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44	44	counseling and dietary analysis; (E) dispension and oral 15
45	45	administration or topical application of nonnarcotic analgesics, anti-16
46	46	inflammatory and antibiotic medications as prescribed by a licensed 17
47	47	health care provider, with the exception of schedule II, III or IV 18
48	48	controlled substances; (F) application of topical preventive or 19
49	49	prophylactic agents, including fluoride, fluoride varnish, antimicrobial 20
50	50	agents and pit and fissure sealants; (G) pulp vitality testing; (H) 21
51	51	application of desensitizing medication or resin; (I) interim therapeutic 22
52	52	restorations; (J) fabrication of athletic mouth guards; (K) periodontal 23
53	53	dressing changes; (L) administration of local anesthetic pursuant to 24
54	54	subsection (d) of section 20-126l of the general statutes; (M) simple 25
55	55	extraction of erupted primary teeth; (N) nonsurgical extraction of 26
56	56	periodontally diseased permanent teeth with grade three or higher 27
57	57	tooth mobility, with the exception of an extraction when a tooth is 28
58	58	unerupted, impacted, fractured or needs to be sectioned for removal; 29
59	59	(O) emergency palliative treatment of dental pain, limited to the 30
60	60	procedures listed in this subdivision; (P) preparation and placement of 31
61	61	direct restoration in primary and permanent teeth, that does not 32
62	62	require the fabrication of crowns, bridges, veneers or dentures; (Q) 33
63	63	fabrication and placement of single-tooth temporary crowns; (R) 34
64	64	administration of nitrous oxide; (S) preparation and placement of 35
65	65	preformed crowns on primary teeth; (T) indirect and direct pulp 36
66	66	capping on permanent teeth; (U) indirect pulp capping on primary 37
67	67	teeth; (V) suture removal; (W) minor adjustments and repairs on 38
68	68	removable prostheses; (X) placement and removal of space 39
69	69	maintainers; and (Y) recementing permanent crowns. 40
70	70	(b) No person shall engage in the practice of dental therapy unless 41
71	71	such person (1) is a dental hygienist licensed under chapter 379a of the 42
72	72	general statutes, (2) has a certificate of graduation from a dental 43
73	73	therapy program (A) accredited for dental therapy by the Commission 44
74	74	on Dental Accreditation, or such other national professional 45
75	75	accrediting body as may be recognized by the Department of Public 46
76	76	Health, and (B) offered by an institution of higher education, and (3) 47
77	77	practices in a public health facility under the general supervision of a 48 Raised Bill No. 7281
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81	81	LCO No. 4793 3 of 3
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83	83	licensed dentist pursuant to a collaborative agreement with such 49
84	84	dentist or in a dental care health professional shortage area as 50
85	85	designated by the federal Health Resources and Services 51
86	86	Administration. 52
87	87	(c) A collaborative agreement between a dentist and a dental 53
88	88	hygienist engaging in the practice of dental therapy may allow such 54
89	89	dental hygienist to directly supervise not more than two dental 55
90	90	assistants, expanded function dental assistants or dental hygienists. 56
91	91	Nothing in this section shall require a dentist to enter into a 57
92	92	collaborative agreement with a dental hygienist. 58
93	93	(d) Each certified dental hygienist engaging in the practice of dental 59
94	94	therapy and applying for a renewal of such certification shall earn a 60
95	95	minimum of six hours of continuing education within the preceding 61
96	96	certification period related to the practice of dental therapy in addition 62
97	97	to satisfying the continuing education requirements of section 20-126l 63
98	98	of the general statutes. 64
99	99	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
100	100	sections:
101	101
102	102	Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section
103	103
104	104	Statement of Purpose:
105	105	To allow dental hygienists to become certified in dental therapy and
106	106	engage in the practice of dental therapy for the purpose of increasing
107	107	access to dental care.
108	108	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
109	109	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
110	110	not underlined.]
111	111