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Committee approves allowing dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations under supervision
Summary
The committee approved HB16-71 to let licensed dental hygienists place interim therapeutic restorations (ITRs) in public-health settings under dentist supervision, and asked the Board of Dentistry to establish a certification process and public record of certified hygienists.
The committee voted to pass HB16-71, which would authorize licensed dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations (ITRs) in public-health settings under the general supervision of dentists.
Patrick Donnelly of the Hawaii Oral Health Coalition and Paul Glassman, who described California’s decade-long experience, told the committee that hygienists placing ITRs improved access to early dental care for children and reported no adverse outcomes in demonstration projects. "1000 of these were placed by hygienists, 100 percent were done correctly, no adverse outcomes," Glassman said of California’s experience.
Committee members asked whether certification requirements should be set in statute or by rule; board representatives said certification requirements currently for other authorizations are explicit in HRS and that a visible, searchable certification on the licensing site helps the public verify practitioners’ authority. The chair recommended adding certification language similar to existing certifications for anesthesia so the public can confirm a hygienist’s qualification to perform ITRs.
Next steps: The committee passed the bill with direction to add a certification and make approved hygienists discoverable on the licensing search tool.
