SB 178

Preventative dental assistants; certification. Adds preventative dental assistant to the list of positions allowed to obtain dental scans for use in the practice of dentistry. The bill provides that any dental assistant I or dental assistant II may be certified as a preventative dental assistant after completing 1,800 hours of clinical experience and at least 120 hours of didactic and clinical manikin or human subject training in specified areas. The bill also requires licensed dentists who supervise the training of expanded function dental assistants (i) to certify under oath that the preventative dental assistant has completed at least 20 supervised full-mouth supragingival scaling procedures and (ii) to produce such certification to the Board of Dentistry upon request.