SB 146/HB 144 – Teledentistry/RDH Admin. Local Anesthetic
Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne)
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)
Summary
This bill seeks to establish standards for the practice of teledentistry. This bill:
- Defines the practice of teledentistry as the “provision of dental services by use of any electronic or other digital means, as authorized in G.S. 90-29(b)(11) and provided for in G.S. 90-30.2(b)
- Notes that acts will be consider “under the supervision of a licensed dentist when performed pursuant to a licensed dentist’s order, control, and approval” and do not require the dentist’s physical presence.
- Establishes a series of teledentistry requirements related to who may provide teledentistry services, encounter location, data transmission, the licensee-patient relationship, and patient evaluations.
- Requires a licensee to obtain informed consent before providing services through teledentistry.
This bill also expands the definition of “dental hygiene” to include the administration of local anesthetics by infiltration and block techniques by dental hygienists provided the hygienist conducts the administration under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist. Direct supervision in the context of this provision requires the administration to be performed in a locale where the supervising dentist is physically present.
This bill also requires training programs needed for dental hygienists to qualify to administer local anesthetics to include a minimum of a 30-hour session composed of 16 didactic hours and 14 clinical hours. Clinical instruction must be provided by a dentist holding a DDS or DMD degree, and the faculty to student ratio can be no greater than 1:5 for the laboratory and clinical instruction.
Movement
SB 146
Filed – 2/24/2021
HB 144
Filed – 2/24/2021