S-3972.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6234

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators West, M. Kreidler, Johnson and Wojahn)

Read first time 02/07/92.Granting temporary licenses to dental hygienists licensed in another state.

     AN ACT Relating to granting temporary licenses to dental hygienists licensed in another state; and adding a new section to chapter 18.29 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:

     (1) A person holding a valid license who has graduated from a dental hygiene program approved by the secretary and who is currently engaged in practice in another state shall be granted a temporary license without examination required by this chapter, on the payment of any required fees.  The term of the temporary license is two years.  The secretary may require the applicant to:  (a) File with the secretary documentation certifying the applicant is licensed to practice in another state; and (b) provide information as the secretary deems necessary pertaining to the conditions and criteria of the uniform disciplinary act, chapter 18.130 RCW and to demonstrate to the secretary a knowledge of Washington law pertaining to the practice of dental hygiene.

     (2) Dental hygienists practicing under a temporary license granted under this section shall have the authority to perform traditional hygienist duties, which are limited to:

     (a) Oral inspection and measuring of periodontal pockets, with no diagnosis;

     (b) Patient education in oral hygiene;

     (c) Taking intra-oral and extra-oral radiographs;

     (d) Applying topical preventive or prophylactic agents;

     (e) Polishing and smoothing restorations;

     (f) Oral prophylaxis and removal of deposits and stains from the surfaces of the teeth;

     (g) Recording health histories;

     (h) Taking and recording blood pressure and vital signs;

     (i) Performing sub-gingival and supra-gingival scaling; and

     (j) Performing root planing.

     (3) Dental hygienists granted a temporary license under this section shall in no event perform the following operations or services:

     (a) Give injections of local anesthetic; or

     (b) Place restorations into the cavity prepared by the dentist and thereafter carve, contour, and adjust contacts and reclusion of the restoration.