|
Letter from TDHA President
Open Letter to all Texas Dentists….
Dear Doctor,
On behalf of the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association (TDHA) I want to thank you for your longstanding commitment to quality oral health care in Texas.
In an effort to prevent any misunderstanding and to eliminate misinformation, the TDHA Board of Directors has requested that I write to you to clearly state the 2009 legislative goals of our association. It is of paramount importance that TDHA and the Texas Dental Association understand each other’s goals and work together to reduce barriers to access and improve delivery approaches to quality oral health care services that both associations can strongly endorse.
TDHA DOES NOT SUPPORT INDEPENDENT PRACTICE FOR DENTAL HYGIENISTS IN TEXAS and will not propose any legislation for independent practice.
TDHA has two goals for the 2009 Legislative Session:
- Legislation to improve access to long-term, consistent oral health care by expanding Section 262.1515 of the Dental Practice Act to increase locations dental hygienists can enter to include Head Start Centers, Community Health Centers and any other Texas State Board of Dental Examiners approved facility, and to increase the number of times a dental hygienist can provide preventive services to a patient in one of these facilities during a one year period.
- Legislation to allow a dentist to delegate to a registered dental hygienist the administration of local anesthesia for management of treatment-related pain. This bill would give a Texas dentist the option and authority to delegate to a properly educated and certified dental hygienist the administration of local anesthesia under supervision. This is currently legal in 40 other states.
These two bills were filed last session as HB 2993 (Improved Access) and SB 974 (Local Anesthesia). TDHA appreciates the significant support we received from many Texas dentists last session and we welcome questions, input and recommendations as we prepare for 2009.
It is TDHA’s desire that dentists and dental hygienists in Texas work together in support of improved access to quality oral health care for all Texans.
Thank you and please feel free to contact me if you should have any comments or concerns.
Sincerely,
Beth Stewart, RDH
TDHA President
B.Stewart@texasdha.org
432-413-8843
FACT SHEET
ACCESS TO CARE
Legislation to improve access to long-term, consistent oral healthcare
What the law says now:
Dental hygienists with at least two years experience can provide preventive services once for patients in long term care facilities and school based health centers with written authorization from a dentist. After the services are performed the patient must be referred to and seen by a dentist before the dental hygienist can provide any further services.
What the proposed legislation would do:
With written authorization from a dentist, dental hygienists would be allowed into additional locations to provide preventive services to patients. These locations would include Head Start Centers, Community Health Centers, and any other Texas State Board of Dental Examiners approved facility. Moreover, the proposed legislation would increase the number of times a dental hygienist could see a patient during a one year period. This would benefit the patient since many preventive services require more than one visit, or are recommended to be performed more often than once a year.
The proposed legislation would expand access to cost-effective, long-term dental hygiene preventive care.
January, 2008
Specialists in the prevention of oral disease and the maintenance of dental health
FACT SHEET
Administration of Local Anesthesia by Dental Hygienists
Improving the quality of care to patients is the motivating factor behind the effort to legalize the administration of local anesthesia by dental hygienists.
What is Local Anesthesia?
Local anesthesia is the elimination of sensations, especially pain, in one part of the body by the topical application or regional injection of a drug.
What is a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)?
A Registered Dental Hygienist is the dental health specialist, licensed by the state, whose primary concern is the prevention of oral disease and the maintenance of oral health. The dental hygienist is a primary healthcare professional, oral health educator, and clinician who as co-therapist with the dentist, provides preventive, educational, and therapeutic services supporting total health for the control of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health.
Is local anesthesia necessary for dental hygiene practice?
Pain and anxiety control are becoming necessary adjuncts to dental hygiene practice. Research has shown that teeth and roots must be thoroughly detoxified (cleaned) in order to halt gum disease. For many patients, this procedure (root planing) is impossible to do without some type of pain and anxiety control. Appropriate use of pain control measures encourages patients to seek necessary preventive and therapeutic care. Permitting the dental hygienist to administer local anesthesia allows for better and more effective service.
Is it safe?
Over the last 36 years, 39 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation allowing dental hygienists the ability to administer local anesthesia. There is no scientific evidence demonstrating harm to dental patients by dental hygienists administering local anesthesia, or any reported malpractice suits. |
Are dental hygienists adequately educated to administer local anesthesia?
Currently, states allowing dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia require extensive coursework by the licensee. Prior to the actual pain control courses, dental hygiene students complete anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, pathology, plus cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency medical management. Pain control is part of regular dental hygiene curriculum at schools accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Texas Registered Dental Hygienists are required to have graduated from ADA CODA accredited programs. The Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association supports extensive coursework being required by all licensees seeking to utilize this expanded skill.
Who is legally responsible?
By virtue of licensure, dental hygienists are placed into a position of legal responsibility to provide safe, competent dental hygiene care including the administration of local anesthesia when it has been added to their scope of practice. It is also important to note that if the dental practice act is changed to allow registered dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia, it will be considered a permissible duty that must be delegated to the dental hygienist by a dentist. Dental hygienists do carry professional liability insurance and the administration of local anesthesia does not increase a dental hygienist’s malpractice premium |
|
|
