Brief Description: Adding requirements to renew initial limited licenses for dental hygienists.

Sponsors: Senators Keiser and Deccio.

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
House Committee on Health Care

Background: Dental hygienists in Washington must maintain a license to practice and must be supervised by a dentist except in limited settings. In-state applicants who complete an approved education program, have successfully completed examination requirements, have not engaged in unprofessional conduct, are able to practice with reasonable skill and safety, and who have complied with administrative and fee requirements are issued a license by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
Out-of-state applicants who:
   1)   have practiced in another state for two years;
   2)   graduated from an approved dental hygiene school;
   3)   successfully completed the dental hygiene national board examination; and
   4)   hold a valid license from another state that allows the same scope of practice as Washington can be issued an initial limited license by the department.

Currently, the initial limited license is for a term of 18 months and is renewable upon successful passage of the examination for administering local anesthetic and nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia.

It is felt by some that the expanded scope of practice for dental hygienists in Washington is difficult for out-of-state applicants to match. This is perceived as a barrier to licensing out-of-state applicants.

Summary: An initial limited license can be issued without an examination to any applicant who meets the requirements as set out in the current law; however, if he or she holds a valid license in another state he or she need only show that it allows a substantively equivalent scope of practice.

An initial limited license issued for eighteen months is renewable when the applicant can:
   1)   demonstrate successful passage of a substantively equivalent dental hygiene patient evaluation/prophylaxis examination;
   2)   demonstrate successful passage of a substantively equivalent local anesthesia examination; and
   3)   demonstrate competency in the administration of nitrous oxide analgesia.

If an applicant licensed in another state is able to demonstrate substantively equivalent licensing standards in the administration of local anesthetic, this will amount to the successful passage of the local anesthesia examination, listed under 2) above.

The requirement that a temporary license holder meet the requirements for substantively equivalent licensing standards in restorative or local anesthetic is no longer necessary and is removed.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      98   0

Effective: June 7, 2006