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Commission advised to back legislation letting certified dental assistants take X‑rays under remote dentist direction
Summary
Department of Public Health staff told the Connecticut State Dental Commission a legislative change could allow certified dental assistants to take X‑rays when a dentist gives remote, verbal authorization; the department offered a template and asked the commission to submit details for consideration.
Miriam Miller of the Department of Public Health told the Connecticut State Dental Commission the department can include a proposal allowing certified dental assistants to take X‑rays when a dentist authorizes the imaging remotely as part of its next legislative package. "If the assistant can take the X‑ray and then just, email it or or text it to the doctor, then he can... make a decision," Miller said, describing cases where a patient presents with an emergency and no dentist is physically onsite.
Miller said assistants already must hold a radiation/radiology certificate in order to take X‑rays and emphasized the department’s formal process for collecting legislative ideas. "We are actually... going to start collecting new policy ideas for next legislative session in July," she said, and asked the commission to work with Ryan (staff) to complete a template the department will use.
Commissioner Ross argued the profession is behind other medical fields on indirect supervision and voiced support for the change: "We are so far behind on indirect supervision in the dental field... I totally support this." Ryan cautioned commissioners to consult their professional association before submitting the form, noting leadership will want to know whether the industry association supports the proposal.
The Department of Public Health offered two pathways: (1) the department can propose the change in its own legislative package after the commission supplies problem‑statement detail and training requirements, or (2) the commission can work directly with legislative public health committee chairs if the department elects not to include the item. Miller and Ryan agreed the department will send the legislative‑idea form to the commission and that the commission should document what training or certificates dental assistants would need.
The meeting produced no formal vote on policy but commissioners directed staff to coordinate with Ryan to complete the department’s legislative‑idea template and to seek input from the Connecticut State Dental Association before submitting the proposal.
Looking ahead, commissioners and DPH staff said the department will weigh the proposal against other priorities in its legislative package and that the commission may pursue the bill through the legislature if DPH elects not to include it.
