§ 33.205. Practice as a dental hygienist.

 (a)  Scope of professional practice. A dental hygienist may offer to perform or perform services that involve:

   (1)  Placement of antimicrobial cord.

   (2)  Periodontal probing, scaling, root planing, polishing or another procedure required to remove calculus deposits, accretions, excess or flash restorative materials and stains from the exposed surfaces of the teeth and beneath the free margin of the gingiva to the base of the junctional epithelium.

   (3)  Evaluation of the patient to collect data to identify dental hygiene care needs.

   (4)  The application of fluorides and other recognized topical agents for the prevention of oral diseases.

   (5)  Conditioning of teeth for and application of sealants.

   (6)  Taking of impressions of the teeth for athletic appliances.

 (b)  Prohibition against independent practice. A dental hygienist is prohibited from establishing or maintaining an office or other workplace for the provision of dental hygiene services separate or independent from the office or other workplace in which the supervision of a dentist is provided.

 (c)  Practice sites. A dental hygienist may engage in professional practice at the following sites under the supervision of a dentist as required in subsection (d):

   (1)  In dental facilities.

   (2)  In public or private institutions such as schools, hospitals, public health care agencies, nursing homes, mobile health units and homes for juveniles, the elderly and the handicapped.

   (3)  In institutions under the jurisdiction of Federal, State or local health agencies.

 (d)  Supervision.

   (1)  In subsection (c)(1) practice sites, the following apply:

     (i)   A dental hygienist may provide the professional service identified in subsection (a)(1) to patients in any ASA Class under the direct supervision of a dentist.

     (ii)   A dental hygienist may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(2) to ASA Class I patients under the general supervision of a dentist.

     (iii)   A dental hygienist may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(2) to ASA Class II—ASA Class V patients under the direct supervision of a dentist.

     (iv)   A dental hygienist may provide the professional services identified in subsection (a)(3)—(6) to patients in any ASA Class under the general supervision of a dentist.

   (2)  In subsection (c)(2) and (3) practice sites, a dental hygienist shall provide professional services under the general supervision of a dentist. For the purposes of this paragraph, general supervision is defined as supervision by a dentist who authorizes and takes full professional responsibility for the provision of the services. A single authorization may, when appropriate, apply to one or more classes or categories of students/patients.

   (3)  For professional services not identified in subsection (a)(1)—(6) or §  33.302 (relating to auxiliary personnel performing radiologic procedures), the dentist shall compare the listed services and the supervision required with the unlisted service and utilize the appropriate supervision. Supervision for noncomparable services shall be determined by the Board on a modality basis.

   (4)  Notwithstanding the supervision requirements in this subsection, a dental hygienist may provide oral health education and perform preliminary dental screenings in any setting without the supervision of a dentist.

   The provisions of this §  33.205 adopted June 23, 1995, effective June 24, 1995, 25 Pa.B. 2492.

   This section cited in 49 Pa. Code §  33.1 (relating to definitions); and 25 Pa. Code §  33.110 (relating to volunteer license).