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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7303
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 5086
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E RECOMMENDATIONS OF T HE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGARDING DEN TAL
PRACTITIONERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 20-107 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2020): 2
(a) Each application for a license to practice dentistry shall be [in 3
writing and signed by] submitted by the applicant and no license shall 4
be issued to any person unless he or she presents (1) a diploma or 5
other certificate of graduation conferring a dental degree from [some 6
reputable] a dental college or from a department of dentistry of a 7
medical college [conferring a dental degree, or unless he or she is 8
practicing as a legally qualified dentist in another state having 9
requirements for admission determined by the department to be 10
similar to or higher than the requirements of this state] accredited by 11
the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental 12
Accreditation or its successor organization; (2) evidence of satisfactory 13
completion of a written examination or examinations given by the 14 Raised Bill No. 7303
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Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, subject to such 15
conditions as the State Dental Commission as described in section 20-16
103a, with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, may 17
prescribe; and (3) evidence of satisfactory completion of at least one 18
year of a clinically-based postdoctoral general practice or specialty 19
dental residency program accredited by the Commission on Dental 20
Accreditation, or its successor organization. 21
[(b) The Dental Commission may, with the consent of the 22
Commissioner of Public Health, determine the colleges which shall be 23
considered reputable dental or medical colleges for the purposes of 24
this chapter. The commission shall consult when possible with 25
nationally recognized accrediting agencies when making such 26
determinations.] 27
[(c)] (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of [subsections] subsection 28
(a) [and (b)] of this section, the department may issue a license to 29
practice dentistry to any applicant holding a diploma from a foreign 30
dental school, provided the applicant: (1) [is] Is a graduate of a dental 31
school located outside the United States and has received the degree of 32
doctor of dental medicine or surgery, or its equivalent; (2) [has] passed 33
the written and practical examination or examinations required in 34
subsection (a) of this section or section 20-108, as amended by this act; 35
(3) [has] successfully completed not less than two years of graduate 36
dental training as a resident dentist in a program accredited by the 37
Commission on Dental Accreditation; and (4) [has] successfully 38
completed, at a level greater than the second postgraduate year, not 39
less than three years of a residency or fellowship training program 40
accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in a school of 41
dentistry in this state, or has served as a full-time faculty member of a 42
school of dentistry in this state pursuant to the provisions of section 43
20-120 for not less than three years. 44
Sec. 2. Section 20-108 of the general statutes is repealed and the 45
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2020): 46 Raised Bill No. 7303
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[(a) Except as provided in section 20-110 and subsection (b) of this 47
section, each applicant for a license to practice dental medicine or 48
dental surgery shall be examined by the Department of Public Health, 49
under the supervision of the Dental Commission as to his or her 50
professional knowledge and skill before such license is granted. Such 51
examination shall be conducted in the English language.] The State 52
Dental Commission may, with the consent of the Commissioner of 53
Public Health, accept and approve [, in lieu of the written examination 54
required by this section, the results of an examination given by the 55
Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, subject to such 56
conditions as the commission may prescribe, and the Dental 57
Commission with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, 58
may accept and approve, in lieu of the written and practical 59
examination required by this section,] the results of [regional testing 60
agencies as to written and] clinical or practical examinations, subject to 61
such conditions as [the] said commission, with the consent of the 62
Commissioner of Public Health, may prescribe in lieu of the clinically 63
based postdoctoral general practice or specialty dental residency 64
program required pursuant to subsection (a) of section 20-107, as 65
amended by this act. On and after July 1, 2021, or upon the State 66
Dental Commission's approval of examinations that do not require the 67
participation of patients, whichever is later, such clinical or practical 68
examinations shall not require the participation of patients. Passing 69
scores shall be established by the department with the consent of the 70
commission. 71
[(b) In lieu of the practical examination required by subsection (a) of 72
this section, an applicant for licensure may submit evidence of having 73
successfully completed not less than one year of graduate dental 74
training as a resident dentist in a program accredited by the 75
Commission on Dental Accreditation, provided the director of the 76
dental residency program at the facility in which the applicant 77
completed the residency training provides documentation satisfactory 78
to the Department of Public Health attesting to the resident dentist's 79
competency in all areas tested on the practical examination required by 80 Raised Bill No. 7303
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subsection (a) of this section. Not later than December 1, 2005, the 81
Dental Commission, in consultation with the Department of Public 82
Health, shall develop a form upon which such documentation shall be 83
provided.] 84
Sec. 3. Section 20-110 of the general statutes is repealed and the 85
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2020): 86
The Department of Public Health may, upon receipt of an 87
application and a fee of five hundred sixty-five dollars, issue a license 88
without examination to a practicing dentist in another state or territory 89
who (1) holds a current valid license in good professional standing 90
issued after examination by another state or territory that maintains 91
licensing standards which, except for the practical examination, are 92
commensurate with the state's standards, and (2) has worked 93
continuously as a licensed dentist in an academic or clinical setting in 94
another state or territory for a period of not less than [five years] one 95
year immediately preceding the application for licensure without 96
examination. No license shall be issued under this section to any 97
applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or 98
who is the subject of an unresolved complaint. The department shall 99
inform the Dental Commission annually of the number of applications 100
it receives for licensure under this section. 101
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2020) (a) As used in this section: 102
(1) "Practice of dental therapy" means the performance of 103
educational, preventive and therapeutic services through any one or 104
more of the following practices and procedures: (A) Identification of 105
oral and systemic conditions requiring evaluation or treatment by 106
dentists, physicians or other healthcare providers, and management of 107
referrals; (B) diagnosis of, and treatment for, oral diseases and 108
conditions within the dental therapist scope of practice, limited to the 109
procedures in this section; (C) comprehensive charting of the oral 110
cavity; (D) oral health instruction and disease prevention education, 111
including nutritional counseling and dietary analysis; (E) dispensing 112 Raised Bill No. 7303
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and administering nonnarcotic analgesics, anti-inflammatory and 113
antibiotic medications as prescribed by a licensed health care provider, 114
except schedule II, III or IV controlled substances; (F) applying topical 115
preventive or prophylactic agents, including fluoride varnish, 116
antimicrobial agents and pit and fissure sealants; (G) pulp vitality 117
testing; (H) applying desensitizing medication or resin; (I) interim 118
therapeutic restorations; (J) fabricating athletic mouth guards; (K) 119
changing periodontal dressings; (L) administering local anesthetics 120
under the general supervision of a dentist; (M) simple extraction of 121
erupted primary teeth; (N) nonsurgical extractions of periodontally 122
diseased permanent teeth with tooth mobility of three or greater, but 123
not including an extraction of a tooth if it is unerupted, impacted, 124
fractured or needs to be sectioned for removal; (O) emergency 125
palliative treatment of dental pain, limited to the procedures in this 126
section; (P) preparation and placement of direct restoration in primary 127
and permanent teeth, that does not require the fabrication of crowns, 128
bridges, veneers or dentures; (Q) fabrication and placement of single-129
tooth temporary crowns; (R) preparation and placement of preformed 130
crowns on primary teeth; (S) indirect and direct pulp capping on 131
permanent teeth; (T) indirect pulp capping on primary teeth; (U) 132
suture removal; (V) minor adjustments and repairs on removable 133
prostheses; (W) placement and removal of space maintainers; and (X) 134
recementing permanent crowns; 135
(2) "Collaborative agreement" means a written agreement between a 136
dental therapist and a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 379 of the 137
general statutes, that defines the working relationship between the 138
dental therapist and the dentist and the parameters of the practice 139
provided by such dental therapist in accordance with subdivision (1) 140
of this subsection; 141
(3) "Dental therapist" means a person authorized to engage in the 142
practice of dental therapy under a collaborative agreement; 143
(4) "Public health facility" has the same meaning as provided in 144
section 20-126l of the general statutes, as amended by this act. 145 Raised Bill No. 7303
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(b) No person shall engage in the practice of dental therapy unless 146
such person (1) is a dental hygienist licensed pursuant to chapter 379a 147
of the general statutes; (2) has obtained a dental therapist certification, 148
that shall be (A) in writing, on forms issued by an institution of higher 149
education accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, after 150
successful completion of a dental therapy program which includes, in 151
accordance with the Commission on Dental Accreditation Dental 152
Therapy Standards, full-time instruction, or its equivalent, at the 153
postsecondary college level and incorporate all dental therapy practice 154
competencies, (B) signed by the dental therapist and the dental therapy 155
program director, and (C) made available to the Department of Public 156
Health upon request; (3) has successfully completed a comprehensive 157
examination prescribed by the Commission on Dental Competency 158
Assessments, or its equivalent, and administered independently of any 159
institution of higher education that offers a program in dental therapy; 160
(4) prior to entering the first collaborative agreement, (A) has received 161
a certificate of completion, signed by a dentist licensed pursuant to 162
chapter 379 of the general statutes, that verifies completion of one 163
thousand hours of clinical training under the direct supervision of such 164
dentist, and (B) has successfully completed six hours of continuing 165
education related to dental therapy; and (5) has entered into a 166
collaborative agreement. 167
(c) A dental therapist shall practice in a public health facility under 168
the general supervision of a licensed dentist in accordance with a 169
collaborative agreement. 170
(d) No provision of this section shall be construed to prohibit a 171
dental hygienist enrolled in a dental therapy program, as described in 172
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, from performing dental 173
therapy work as a required component of his or her course of study in 174
such program, provided such dental hygienist (1) performs such work 175
under the direct supervision of a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 176
379 of the general statutes, (2) shall not hold himself or herself out as a 177
certified dental therapist, and (3) shall not receive compensation for 178
such work. 179 Raised Bill No. 7303
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(e) (1) A collaborative agreement required pursuant to subsection 180
(b) of this section shall include: (A) Identification of public health 181
facilities where services may be provided and the populations to be 182
served; (B) any limitations on the services that may be provided by the 183
dental therapist; (C) age and procedure-specific practice protocols, 184
including case selection criteria, assessment guidelines and imaging 185
frequency; (D) a procedure for creating and maintaining dental records 186
for the patients that are treated by the dental therapist; (E) a plan to 187
manage medical emergencies in each public health facility where the 188
dental therapist provides care; (F) a quality assurance plan for 189
monitoring care provided by the dental therapist, including patient 190
care review, referral follow-up and a quality assurance chart review; 191
(G) protocols for dispensing and administering medications, including 192
the specific conditions and circumstances under which these 193
medications may be dispensed and administered; (H) criteria relating 194
to the provision of care to patients with specific medical conditions or 195
complex medication histories, including requirements for consultation 196
prior to the initiation of care; (I) criteria for the supervision of dental 197
assistants and dental hygienists in accordance with subsection (j) of 198
this section; and (J) a plan for the provision of referrals in situations 199
that are beyond the capabilities of the dental therapist. 200
(2) A collaborative agreement shall be (A) signed and maintained by 201
the supervising dentist and the dental therapist and kept on file at the 202
locations where such dental therapist is employed, (B) reviewed by the 203
dentist and dental therapist on an annual basis and revised as needed, 204
and (C) available for inspection upon the request of the Department of 205
Public Health. 206
(f) A dentist who enters into a collaborative agreement with a dental 207
therapist (1) shall be professionally responsible and legally liable for all 208
services authorized and performed by a dental therapist pursuant to a 209
collaborative agreement, and (2) may not enter into a collaborative 210
agreement with more than two dental therapists at any one time. 211
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a dentist to enter 212
into a collaborative agreement with a dental therapist. 213 Raised Bill No. 7303
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(g) A dental therapist may directly supervise not more than two 214
dental assistants or expanded function dental assistants, as defined in 215
section 20-112a of the general statutes, or dental hygienists licensed 216
pursuant to chapter 379a of the general statutes to the extent permitted 217
in the collaborative agreement. 218
(h) (1) Upon each renewal of a dental hygiene license pursuant to 219
chapter 379a of the general statutes, each dental therapist shall 220
complete six hours of continuing education in addition to the 221
requirements of subsection (g) of section 20-126l of the general statutes, 222
as amended by this act, for a total of twenty-two hours of continuing 223
education within the preceding twenty-four-month period. 224
(2) Each dental therapist applying for a renewal of a dental hygiene 225
license pursuant to chapter 379a of the general statutes and in 226
accordance with section 19a-88 of the general statutes shall sign a 227
statement attesting that he or she has satisfied the continuing 228
education requirements described in subdivision (1) of this subsection 229
on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Health. Each dental 230
therapist shall retain records of attendance or certificates of completion 231
that demonstrate compliance with the continuing education 232
requirements described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for not less 233
than three years following the date on which the continuing education 234
was completed or the license was renewed. Each dental therapist shall 235
submit such records to the department for inspection not later than 236
forty-five days after a request by the department for such records. A 237
dental therapist who fails to comply with the provisions of this section 238
may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to section 20-126o of the 239
general statutes, as amended by this act. 240
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 20-126o of the general statutes is 241
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 242
January 1, 2020): 243
(a) The Department of Public Health may take any of the actions set 244
forth in section 19a-17 for any of the following causes: (1) The 245 Raised Bill No. 7303
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presentation to the department of any diploma, license or certificate 246
illegally or fraudulently obtained, or obtained from an institution that 247
is not accredited or from an unrecognized or irregular institution or 248
state board, or obtained by the practice of any fraud or deception; (2) 249
illegal conduct; (3) negligent, incompetent or wrongful conduct in 250
professional activities; (4) conviction of the violation of any of the 251
provisions of sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, or section 4 of this 252
act by any court of criminal jurisdiction; (5) the violation of any of the 253
provisions of said sections or of the regulations adopted hereunder or 254
the refusal to comply with any of said provisions or regulations; (6) the 255
aiding or abetting in the practice of dental hygiene of a person not 256
licensed to practice dental hygiene in this state; (7) engaging in fraud 257
or material deception in the course of professional activities; (8) the 258
effects of physical or mental illness, emotional disorder or loss of 259
motor skill, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the 260
aging process, upon the license holder; (9) abuse or excessive use of 261
drugs, including alcohol, narcotics or chemicals; or (10) failure to 262
provide information to the Department of Public Health required to 263
complete a health care provider profile, as set forth in section 20-13j. A 264
violation of any of the provisions of sections 20-126h to 20-126w, 265
inclusive, or section 4 of this act by any unlicensed employee in the 266
practice of dental hygiene, with the knowledge of his or her employer, 267
shall be deemed a violation thereof by his or her employer. The 268
Commissioner of Public Health may order a license holder to submit to 269
a reasonable physical or mental examination if his or her physical or 270
mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an investigation. Said 271
commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district of 272
Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to said 273
section 19a-17. 274
Sec. 6. Subsections (c) and (d) of section 20-112a of the general 275
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 276
(Effective January 1, 2020): 277
(c) (1) A licensed dentist may delegate to dental assistants such 278
dental procedures as the dentist may deem advisable, including: (A) 279 Raised Bill No. 7303
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The taking of dental x-rays if the dental assistant can demonstrate 280
successful completion of the dental radiation health and safety 281
examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board; (B) 282
the taking of impressions of teeth for study models; and (C) the 283
provision of fluoride varnish treatments. Such procedures shall be 284
performed under direct supervision and the dentist providing direct 285
supervision shall assume responsibility for such procedures. 286
(2) A licensed dentist may delegate to an expanded function dental 287
assistant such dental procedures as the dentist may deem advisable, 288
including: (A) The placing, finishing and adjustment of temporary 289
restorations and long-term individual fillings, capping materials and 290
cement bases; (B) oral health education for patients; (C) dental sealants; 291
[and] (D) coronal polishing, provided the procedure is not represented 292
or billed as prophylaxis; (E) administration of topical anesthetic under 293
the direct supervision of the dentist prior to the administration of local 294
anesthetic by a dentist or dental hygienist; and (F) taking alginate 295
impressions of teeth, under the direct supervision of the dentist, for 296
use in study models, orthodontic appliances, whitening trays, mouth 297
guards or fabrication of temporary crowns. Such procedures shall be 298
performed under [the] either direct or indirect supervision, except as 299
specifically provided in this subdivision, and the dentist providing 300
such supervision shall assume responsibility for such procedures. 301
(3) On or after July 1, 2018, (A) no licensed dentist may delegate 302
dental procedures to a dental assistant or expanded function dental 303
assistant unless the dental assistant or expanded function dental 304
assistant provides records demonstrating successful completion of the 305
Dental Assisting National Board's infection control examination, 306
except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, (B) a dental 307
assistant may receive not more than nine months of on-the-job training 308
by a licensed dentist for purposes of preparing the dental assistant for 309
the Dental Assisting National Board's infection control examination, 310
and (C) any licensed dentist who delegates dental procedures to a 311
dental assistant shall retain and make such records available for 312
inspection upon request of the Department of Public Health. 313 Raised Bill No. 7303
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(4) On and after January 1, 2018, upon successful completion of the 314
Dental Assisting National Board's infection control examination, each 315
dental assistant or expanded function dental assistant shall complete 316
not less than one hour of training or education in infection control in a 317
dental setting every two years, including, but not limited to, courses, 318
including online courses, offered or approved by a dental school or 319
another institution of higher education that is accredited or recognized 320
by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a regional accrediting 321
organization, the American Dental Association or a state, district or 322
local dental association or society affiliated with the American Dental 323
Association or the American Dental Assistants Association. 324
(d) [Under] Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, 325
under no circumstances may a dental assistant or expanded function 326
dental assistant engage in: (1) Diagnosis for dental procedures or 327
dental treatment; (2) the cutting or removal of any hard or soft tissue 328
or suturing; (3) the prescribing of drugs or medications that require the 329
written or oral order of a licensed dentist or physician; (4) the 330
administration of local, parenteral, inhalation or general anesthetic 331
agents in connection with any dental operative procedure; (5) the 332
taking of any final impression of the teeth or jaws or the relationship of 333
the teeth or jaws for the purpose of fabricating any appliance or 334
prosthesis; or (6) the practice of dental hygiene as defined in section 335
20-126l, as amended by this act. 336
Sec. 7. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 20-126c of the general 337
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 338
(Effective January 1, 2020): 339
(a) As used in this section: 340
(1) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Health; 341
(2) "Contact hour" means a minimum of fifty minutes of continuing 342
education activity; 343
(3) "Department" means the Department of Public Health; 344 Raised Bill No. 7303
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(4) "Licensee" means any person who receives a license from the 345
department pursuant to this chapter; [and] 346
(5) "Registration period" means the one-year period for which a 347
license renewed in accordance with section 19a-88 is current and valid; 348
and 349
(6) "Temporary dental clinic" means a dental clinic that provides 350
dental care services at no cost to uninsured or underinsured persons 351
and operates for not more than seventy-two consecutive hours. 352
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a licensee applying 353
for license renewal shall earn a minimum of twenty-five contact hours 354
of continuing education within the preceding twenty-four-month 355
period. Such continuing education shall (1) be in an area of the 356
licensee's practice; (2) reflect the professional needs of the licensee in 357
order to meet the health care needs of the public; and (3) include not 358
less than one contact hour of training or education in (A) any three of 359
the ten mandatory topics for continuing education activities prescribed 360
by the commissioner pursuant to this subdivision, (B) for registration 361
periods beginning on and after October 1, 2016, infection control in a 362
dental setting, and (C) prescribing controlled substances and pain 363
management. For registration periods beginning on and after October 364
1, 2011, the Commissioner of Public Health, in consultation with the 365
Dental Commission, shall on or before October 1, 2010, and biennially 366
thereafter, issue a list that includes ten mandatory topics for 367
continuing education activities that will be required for the following 368
two-year registration period. Qualifying continuing education 369
activities include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line 370
courses, offered or approved by the American Dental Association or 371
state, district or local dental associations and societies affiliated with 372
the American Dental Association; national, state, district or local dental 373
specialty organizations or the American Academy of General 374
Dentistry; a hospital or other health care institution; dental schools and 375
other schools of higher education accredited or recognized by the 376
Council on Dental Accreditation or a regional accrediting organization; 377 Raised Bill No. 7303
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agencies or businesses whose programs are accredited or recognized 378
by the Council on Dental Accreditation; local, state or national medical 379
associations; a state or local health department; or the Accreditation 380
Council for Graduate Medical Education. Eight hours of volunteer 381
dental practice at a public health facility, as defined in section 20-126l, 382
as amended by this act, or a temporary dental clinic may be 383
substituted for one contact hour of continuing education, up to a 384
maximum of ten contact hours in one twenty-four-month period. 385
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 20-126l of the general statutes is 386
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 387
January 1, 2020): 388
(a) As used in this section: 389
(1) "General supervision of a licensed dentist" means supervision 390
that authorizes dental hygiene procedures to be performed with the 391
knowledge of said licensed dentist, whether or not the dentist is on the 392
premises when such procedures are being performed; 393
(2) "Public health facility" means an institution, as defined in section 394
19a-490, a community health center, a group home, a school, a 395
preschool operated by a local or regional board of education, a head 396
start program or a program offered or sponsored by the federal Special 397
Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children, a 398
senior center or a managed residential community, as defined in 399
section 19a-693, [or] a licensed child care center, as described in section 400
19a-77, or a temporary dental clinic, as defined in section 20-126c, as 401
amended by this act; 402
(3) The "practice of dental hygiene" means the performance of 403
educational, preventive and therapeutic services including: Complete 404
prophylaxis; the removal of calcerous deposits, accretions and stains 405
from the supragingival and subgingival surfaces of the teeth by 406
scaling, root planing and polishing; the application of pit and fissure 407
sealants and topical solutions to exposed portions of the teeth; dental 408
hygiene examinations and the charting of oral conditions; dental 409 Raised Bill No. 7303
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hygiene assessment, treatment planning and evaluation; the 410
administration of local anesthesia in accordance with the provisions of 411
subsection (d) of this section; taking alginate impressions of teeth, 412
under the indirect supervision of a dentist, for use in study models, 413
orthodontic appliances, whitening trays, mouth guards and fabrication 414
of temporary crowns; and collaboration in the implementation of the 415
oral health care regimen; and 416
(4) "Contact hour" means a minimum of fifty minutes of continuing 417
education activity. 418
Sec. 9. Subsection (g) of section 20-126l of the general statutes is 419
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 420
January 1, 2020): 421
(g) Each licensed dental hygienist applying for license renewal shall 422
earn a minimum of sixteen contact hours of continuing education 423
within the preceding twenty-four-month period, including, for 424
registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2016, at least 425
one contact hour of training or education in infection control in a 426
dental setting and, for registration periods beginning on and after 427
October 1, 2017, at least one contact hour of training or education in 428
cultural competency. The subject matter for continuing education shall 429
reflect the professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health 430
care needs of the public. Continuing education activities shall provide 431
significant theoretical or practical content directly related to clinical or 432
scientific aspects of dental hygiene. Qualifying continuing education 433
activities include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line 434
courses, that are offered or approved by dental schools and other 435
institutions of higher education that are accredited or recognized by 436
the Council on Dental Accreditation, a regional accrediting 437
organization, the American Dental Association, a state, district or local 438
dental association or society affiliated with the American Dental 439
Association, the National Dental Association, the American Dental 440
Hygienists Association or a state, district or local dental hygiene 441
association or society affiliated with the American Dental Hygienists 442 Raised Bill No. 7303
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Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of 443
Dental Hygiene, the American Red Cross or the American Heart 444
Association when sponsoring programs in cardiopulmonary 445
resuscitation or cardiac life support, the United States Department of 446
Veterans Affairs and armed forces of the United States when 447
conducting programs at United States governmental facilities, a 448
hospital or other health care institution, agencies or businesses whose 449
programs are accredited or recognized by the Council on Dental 450
Accreditation, local, state or national medical associations, or a state or 451
local health department. Eight hours of volunteer dental practice at a 452
public health facility, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, may 453
be substituted for one contact hour of continuing education, up to a 454
maximum of five contact hours in one two-year period. Activities that 455
do not qualify toward meeting these requirements include professional 456
organizational business meetings, speeches delivered at luncheons or 457
banquets, and the reading of books, articles, or professional journals. 458
[Not more than four contact hours of continuing education may be 459
earned through an on-line or other distance learning program.] 460
Sec. 10. Section 20-126l of the general statutes is amended by adding 461
subsection (l) as follows (Effective January 1, 2020): 462
(NEW) (l) No provision of chapter 379a shall be construed to 463
prohibit a student of dental hygiene enrolled in a dental hygiene 464
program, as described in section 20-126i, from performing dental 465
hygiene work as a required component of his or her course of study in 466
such program, provided that the student (1) performs such work 467
under the direct supervision of a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 468
379 or a dental hygienist licensed pursuant to chapter 379a, (2) shall 469
not hold himself or herself out as a licensed dental hygienist, and (3) 470
shall not receive compensation for such work. 471
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 January 1, 2020 20-107
Sec. 2 January 1, 2020 20-108 Raised Bill No. 7303
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Sec. 3 January 1, 2020 20-110
Sec. 4 January 1, 2020 New section
Sec. 5 January 1, 2020 20-126o(a)
Sec. 6 January 1, 2020 20-112a(c) and (d)
Sec. 7 January 1, 2020 20-126c(a) and (b)
Sec. 8 January 1, 2020 20-126l(a)
Sec. 9 January 1, 2020 20-126l(g)
Sec. 10 January 1, 2020 20-126l
Statement of Purpose:
To implement various recommendations by the Department of Public
Health regarding dental practitioners.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]