SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 2689

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

          Health & Long-Term Care, February 23, 1996

Title:  An act relating to the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Brief Description:  Defining the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Dyer, Cody, Campbell and Conway).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Health & Long-Term Care:  2/22/96, 2/23/96 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Quigley, Chair; Wojahn, Vice Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Winsley and Wood.

Staff:  Rhoda Jones (786-7198)

Background:  The Dental Practice Act defines the scope of practice of dentists licensed in the state.  The scope generally involves the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, injuries, deformities and physical conditions of the teeth, gums or jaw.  Dentists are not limited by the medical scope of practice.

Physicians share some dental procedures with dentists.  Physicians may perform oral surgery and extract teeth, diagnose and make x-ray interpretations of the shadows of the teeth, tooth sockets, upper and lower jaw, or adjacent soft tissue. But there is a question of whether dentists can perform facial cosmetic surgery.

Summary of Amended Bill:   The dental scope of practice is clarified to include any dental or oral maxillofacial surgery.  "Oral and maxillofacial surgery" means the specialty of dentistry that includes the diagnosis and surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.  There is no reference to treatment of aesthetic aspects of hard and soft tissues.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  An emergency clause is added.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  This change is necessary to clean up antiquated language in the code relating to oral surgery.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  O. Ross Beirne, UW; Rick Crinz, USDA; Carl Johnson, WSSOMS; Carl Nelson, WSMA.