§ 561. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Board" means the Board of Dental Examiners.

(2) "Director" means the Director of the Office of Professional Regulation.

(3) "Practicing dentistry" means an activity in which a person:

(A) undertakes by any means or method to diagnose or profess to diagnose or to treat or profess to treat or to prescribe for or profess to prescribe for any lesions, diseases, disorders, for deficiencies of the human oral cavity, teeth, gingiva, maxilla, or mandible or adjacent associated structures;

(B) extracts human teeth or corrects malpositions of the teeth or jaws;

(C) furnishes, supplies, constructs, reproduces, or repairs prosthetic dentures, bridges, appliances, or other structures to be used or worn as substitutes for natural teeth or adjusts those structures, except on the written prescription of a duly licensed dentist and by the use of impressions or casts made by a duly licensed and practicing dentist;

(D) administers general dental anesthetics;

(E) administers local dental anesthetics, except dental hygienists as authorized by Board rule; or

(F) engages in any of the practices included in the curricula of recognized dental colleges.

(4) "Dental therapist" means an individual licensed to practice as a dental therapist under this chapter.

(5) "Dental hygienist" means an individual licensed to practice as a dental hygienist under this chapter.

(6) "Dental assistant" means an individual registered to practice as a dental assistant under this chapter.

(7) "Direct supervision" means supervision by a licensed dentist who is readily available at the dental facility for consultation or intervention.

(8) "General supervision" means:

(A) the direct or indirect oversight of a dental therapist by a dentist, which need not be on-site; or

(B) the oversight of a dental hygienist by a dentist as prescribed by Board rule in accordance with sections 582 and 624 of this chapter. (Added 2011, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 13; amended 2015, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 2, 2016.)