S-0891.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5769
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993 Regular Session
By Senators Niemi, Prentice, Moore, Erwin and Fraser
Read first time 02/12/93. Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to licensed dental hygienists; adding new sections to chapter 18.29 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that present law results in restricting the public's access to services provided by licensed dental hygienists as defined in chapter 18.29 RCW. The legislature finds it necessary to eliminate restrictions in current law to promote public access to services provided by licensed dental hygienists.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:
A dental hygienist licensed under this chapter, who has two years' practical clinical experience with a licensed dentist within the preceding five years, may perform dental hygiene services without the supervision of a dentist. These services shall be limited to removal of deposits and stains from the surfaces of the teeth, application of topical preventive or prophylactic agents, polishing and smoothing of restorations, assessment and treatment planning for dental hygiene services, injections of local anaesthetic agents for dental hygiene treatment, and root planing and soft tissue curettage. For dental planning and dental treatment, dental hygienists shall refer patients to licensed dentists.
A dental hygienist performing dental hygiene services without supervision as authorized in this section shall notify the patient on forms adopted by the secretary in conjunction with the dental hygiene examining committee that the services being provided are not dental services.
A dental hygienist authorized to perform dental hygiene services under this section shall require that each patient for whom the dental hygienist performs dental hygiene service establish a dentist of record within twelve months of the first appointment with the dental hygienist.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department shall issue a temporary license without the examination required by this chapter to any applicant who, as determined by the secretary:
(a) Holds a valid license in another state that allows the scope of practice in subsection (3)(a) through (j) of this section;
(b) Is currently engaged in active practice in another state. For the purposes of this section, "active practice" means five hundred sixty hours of practice in the preceding eighteen months;
(c) Files with the secretary documentation certifying that the applicant:
(i) Has graduated from an accredited dental hygiene school approved by the secretary;
(ii) Has successfully completed the dental hygiene national board examination; and
(iii) Is licensed to practice in another state;
(d) Provides information as the secretary deems necessary pertaining to the conditions and criteria of the uniform disciplinary act, chapter 18.130 RCW;
(e) Demonstrates to the secretary a knowledge of Washington state law pertaining to the practice of dental hygiene, including the administration of legend drugs;
(f) Pays any required fees; and
(g) Meets requirements for AIDS education.
(2) The term of the temporary license issued under this section is fifteen months and it is nonrenewable.
(3) A person practicing with a temporary license granted under this section has the authority to perform hygiene procedures that are limited to:
(a) Oral inspection and measuring of periodontal pockets;
(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 surface of the teeth;
(g) Recording health histories;
(h) Taking and recording blood pressure and vital signs;
(i) Performing subgingival and supragingival scaling; and
(j) Performing root planing.
(4)(a) A person practicing with a temporary license granted under this section may not perform the following dental hygiene procedures unless authorized in (b) or (c) of this subsection:
(i) Give injections of local anesthetic;
(ii) Place restorations into the cavity prepared by a licensed dentist and afterwards carve, contour, and adjust contacts and occlusion of the restoration;
(iii) Soft tissue curettage; or
(iv) Administer nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia.
(b) A person licensed in another state who can demonstrate substantially equivalent licensing standards in the administration of local anesthetic may receive a temporary endorsement to administer local anesthesia.
(c) A person licensed in another state who can demonstrate substantially equivalent licensing standards in restorative procedures may receive a temporary endorsement for restorative procedures.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:
A person granted a temporary license under this chapter who does not meet the requirements for substantively equivalent licensing standards in restorative or local anesthetic must submit proof of completion of approved education in these procedures before being eligible to take the dental hygiene examination.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:
The secretary in conjunction with the dental hygiene examining committee shall develop rules and definitions to implement this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:
Reciprocity for licensure or temporary licensure shall be granted only to persons licensed in another state that extends similar privileges of reciprocity by rule or law to persons licensed under this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Section 3 of this act shall take effect January 1, 1994.
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