(225 ILCS 25/18) (from Ch. 111, par. 2318)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2016)
Sec. 18. Acts constituting the practice of dental hygiene; limitations.
(a) A person practices dental hygiene within the meaning of this Act when he or she performs the following acts under the supervision of a dentist:
(i) the operative procedure of dental hygiene,
consisting of oral prophylactic procedures;
(ii) the exposure and processing of X-Ray films
of the teeth and surrounding structures;
(iii) the application to the surfaces of the
teeth or gums of chemical compounds designed to be desensitizing agents or effective agents in the prevention of dental caries or periodontal disease;
(iv) all services which may be performed by a
dental assistant as specified by rule pursuant to Section 17, and a dental hygienist may engage in the placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam restorations only after obtaining formal education and certification as determined by the Department;
(v) administration and monitoring of nitrous
oxide upon successful completion of a training program approved by the Department;
(vi) administration of local anesthetics upon
successful completion of a training program approved by the Department; and
(vii) such other procedures and acts as shall be
prescribed by rule or regulation of the Department.
(b) A dental hygienist may be employed or engaged only:
(1) by a dentist;
(2) by a federal, State, county, or municipal agency
or institution;
(3) by a public or private school; or
(4) by a public clinic operating under the direction
of a hospital or federal, State, county, municipal, or other public agency or institution.
(c) When employed or engaged in the office of a dentist, a dental hygienist may perform, under general supervision, those procedures found in items (i) through (iv) of subsection (a) of this Section, provided the patient has been examined by the dentist within one year of the provision of dental hygiene services, the dentist has approved the dental hygiene services by a notation in the patient's record and the patient has been notified that the dentist may be out of the office during the provision of dental hygiene services.
(d) If a patient of record is unable to travel to a dental office because of illness, infirmity, or imprisonment, a dental hygienist may perform, under the general supervision of a dentist, those procedures found in items (i) through (iv) of subsection (a) of this Section, provided the patient is located in a long-term care facility licensed by the State of Illinois, a mental health or developmental disability facility, or a State or federal prison. The dentist shall personally examine and diagnose the patient and determine which services are necessary to be performed, which shall be contained in an order to the hygienist and a notation in the patient's record. Such order must be implemented within 120 days of its issuance, and an updated medical history and observation of oral conditions must be performed by the hygienist immediately prior to beginning the procedures to ensure that the patient's health has not changed in any manner to warrant a reexamination by the dentist.
(e) School-based oral health care, consisting of and limited to oral prophylactic procedures, sealants, and fluoride treatments, may be provided by a dental hygienist under the general supervision of a dentist. A dental hygienist may not provide other dental hygiene treatment in a school-based setting, including but not limited to administration or monitoring of nitrous oxide or administration of local anesthetics. The school-based procedures may be performed provided the patient is located at a public or private school and the program is being conducted by a State, county or local public health department initiative or in conjunction with a dental school or dental hygiene program. The dentist shall personally examine and diagnose the patient and determine which services are necessary to be performed, which shall be contained in an order to the hygienist and a notation in the patient's record. Any such order for sealants must be implemented within 120 days after its issuance. Any such order for oral prophylactic procedures or fluoride treatments must be implemented within 180 days after its issuance. An updated medical history and observation of oral conditions must be performed by the hygienist immediately prior to beginning the procedures to ensure that the patient's health has not changed in any manner to warrant a reexamination by the dentist.
(f) Without the supervision of a dentist, a dental hygienist may perform dental health education functions and may record case histories and oral conditions observed.
(g) The number of dental hygienists practicing in a dental office shall not exceed, at any one time, 4 times the number of dentists practicing in the office at the time.
(Source: P.A. 97-526, eff. 1-1-12.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015