Kansas Statutes
Article 14 - Regulation Of Dentists And Dental Hygienists
65-1456 Dental hygienists; suspension or revocation of licenses, when; notice and hearing; practice of dental hygiene defined; rules and regulations; supervision defined; where performance of practice authorized, issuance of permits therefor; authori...

65-1456. Dental hygienists; suspension or revocation of licenses, when; notice and hearing; practice of dental hygiene defined; rules and regulations; supervision defined; where performance of practice authorized, issuance of permits therefor; authorized activities, requirements; "dentally underserved" defined. (a) The board may suspend or revoke the license of any dentist who shall permit any dental hygienist operating under such dentist's supervision to perform any operation other than that permitted under the provisions of article 14 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, and may suspend or revoke the license of any hygienist found guilty of performing any operation other than those permitted under article 14 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto. No license of any dentist or dental hygienist shall be suspended or revoked in any administrative proceedings without first complying with the notice and hearing requirements of the Kansas administrative procedure act.
(b) The practice of dental hygiene shall include those educational, preventive, and therapeutic procedures which result in the removal of extraneous deposits, stains and debris from the teeth and the rendering of smooth surfaces of the teeth to the depths of the gingival sulci. Included among those educational, preventive and therapeutic procedures are the instruction of the patient as to daily personal care, protecting the teeth from dental caries, the scaling and polishing of the crown surfaces and the planing of the root surfaces, in addition to the curettage of those soft tissues lining the free gingiva to the depth of the gingival sulcus and such additional educational, preventive and therapeutic procedures as the board may establish by rules and regulations.
(c) Subject to such prohibitions, limitations and conditions as the board may prescribe by rules and regulations, any licensed dental hygienist may practice dental hygiene and may also perform such dental service as may be performed by a dental assistant under the provisions of K.S.A. 65-1423, and amendments thereto.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the practice of dental hygiene shall be performed under the direct or general supervision of a licensed dentist at the office of such licensed dentist. The board shall designate by rules and regulations the procedures which may be performed by a dental hygienist under direct supervision and the procedures which may be performed under general supervision of a licensed dentist. As used in this section: (1) "Direct supervision" means that the dentist is in the dental office, personally diagnoses the condition to be treated, personally authorizes the procedure and before dismissal of the patient evaluates the performance; and (2) "general supervision" means a Kansas licensed dentist may delegate verbally or by written authorization the performance of a service, task or procedure to a licensed dental hygienist under the supervision and responsibility of the dentist, if the dental hygienist is licensed to perform the function, and the supervising dentist examines the patient at the time the dental hygiene procedure is performed, or during the 12 calendar months preceding the performance of the procedure, except that the licensed hygienist shall not be permitted to diagnose a dental disease or ailment, prescribe any treatment or a regimen thereof, prescribe, order or dispense medication or perform any procedure which is irreversible or which involves the intentional cutting of the soft or hard tissue by any means. A dentist is not required to be on the premises at the time a hygienist performs a function delegated under part (2) of this subsection.
(e) The practice of dental hygiene may be performed at an adult care home, hospital long-term care unit, state institution, local health department or indigent health care clinic on a resident of a facility, client or patient thereof so long as:
(1) A licensed dentist has delegated the performance of the service, task or procedure;
(2) the dental hygienist is under the supervision and responsibility of the dentist;
(3) either the supervising dentist is personally present or the services, tasks and procedures are limited to the cleaning of teeth, education and preventive care; and
(4) the supervising dentist examines the patient at the time the dental hygiene procedure is performed or has examined the patient during the 12 calendar months preceding performance of the procedure.
(f) The practice of dental hygiene may be performed with consent of the parent or legal guardian, on children participating in residential and nonresidential centers for therapeutic services, on all children in families which are receiving family preservation services, on all children in the custody of the secretary for children and families or the commissioner of juvenile justice authority and in an out-of-home placement residing in foster care homes, on children being served by runaway youth programs and homeless shelters; and on children birth to five and children in public and nonpublic schools kindergarten through grade 12 regardless of the time of year and children participating in youth organizations, so long as such children who are dentally underserved are targeted; at any state correctional institution, local health department or indigent health care clinic, as defined in K.S.A. 65-1466, and amendments thereto, and at any federally qualified health center, federally qualified health center look-alike or a community health center that receives funding from section 330 of the health center consolidation act, on a person, inmate, client or patient thereof and on other persons as may be defined by the board; so long as:
(1) The dental hygienist has received an "extended care permit I" from the Kansas dental board specifying that the dental hygienist has performed 1,200 hours of dental hygiene care within the past three years or has been an instructor at an accredited dental hygiene program for two academic years within the past three years;
(2) the dental hygienist shows proof of professional liability insurance;
(3) the dental hygienist is sponsored by a dentist licensed in the state of Kansas, including a signed agreement stating that the dentist shall monitor the dental hygienist's activities, except such dentist shall not monitor more than five dental hygienists with an extended care permit;
(4) the tasks and procedures are limited to: (A) Removal of extraneous deposits, stains and debris from the teeth and the rendering of smooth surfaces of the teeth to the depths of the gingival sulci; (B) the application of topical anesthetic if the dental hygienist has completed the required course of instruction approved by the dental board; (C) the application of fluoride; (D) dental hygiene instruction; (E) assessment of the patient's apparent need for further evaluation by a dentist to diagnose the presence of dental caries and other abnormalities; and (F) other duties as may be delegated verbally or in writing by the sponsoring dentists consistent with this act;
(5) the dental hygienist advises the patient and legal guardian that the services are preventive in nature and do not constitute a comprehensive dental diagnosis and care;
(6) the dental hygienist provides a copy of the findings and the report of treatment to the sponsoring dentist and any other dental or medical supervisor at a participating organization found in this subsection; and
(7) any payment to the dental hygienist for dental hygiene services is received from the sponsoring dentist or the participating organization found in this subsection.
(g) The practice of dental hygiene may be performed on persons with developmental disabilities and on persons who are 65 years and older who live in a residential center, an adult care home, subsidized housing, hospital long-term care unit, state institution or are served in a community senior service center, elderly nutrition program or at the home of a homebound person who qualifies for the federal home and community based service (HCBS) waiver on a resident of a facility, client or patient thereof so long as:
(1) The dental hygienist has received an "extended care permit II" from the Kansas dental board specifying that the dental hygienist has: (A) Performed 1,600 hours of dental hygiene care or has been an instructor at an accredited dental hygiene program for two academic years within the past three years; and (B) completed six hours of training on the care of special needs patients or other training as may be accepted by the board;
(2) the dental hygienist shows proof of professional liability insurance;
(3) the dental hygienist is sponsored by a dentist licensed in the state of Kansas, including a signed agreement stating that the dentist shall monitor the dental hygienist's activities, except such dentist shall not monitor more than five dental hygienists with an extended care permit II;
(4) the tasks and procedures are limited to: (A) Removal of extraneous deposits, stains and debris from the teeth and the rendering of smooth surfaces of the teeth to the depths of the gingival sulci; (B) the application of topical anesthetic if the dental hygienist has completed the required course of instruction approved by the dental board; (C) the application of fluoride; (D) dental hygiene instruction; (E) assessment of the patient's apparent need for further evaluation by a dentist to diagnose the presence of dental caries and other abnormalities; and (F) other duties as may be delegated verbally or in writing by the sponsoring dentist consistent with this act;
(5) the dental hygienist advises the patient and legal guardian that the services are preventive in nature and do not constitute comprehensive dental diagnosis and care;
(6) the dental hygienist provides a copy of the findings and the report of treatment to the sponsoring dentist and any other dental or medical supervisor at a participating organization found in this subsection;
(7) any payment to the dental hygienist for dental hygiene services is received from the sponsoring dentist or the participating organization found in this subsection; and
(8) the dental hygienist completes a minimum of three hours of education in the area of special needs care within the board's continuing dental education requirements for relicensure.
(h) The expanded practice of dental hygiene may be performed with consent of the parent or legal guardian, on children participating in residential and nonresidential centers for therapeutic services, on all children in families which are receiving family preservation services, on all children in the custody of the secretary for children and families or the commissioner of juvenile justice authority and in an out-of-home placement residing in foster care homes, on children being served by runaway youth programs and homeless shelters; and on children birth to five and children in public and nonpublic schools kindergarten through grade 12 regardless of the time of year and children participating in youth organizations, so long as such children who are dentally underserved are targeted; at any state correctional institution, local health department or indigent health care clinic, as defined in K.S.A. 65-1466, and amendments thereto, and at any federally qualified health center, federally qualified health center look-alike or a community health center that receives funding from section 330 of the health center consolidation act, on a person, inmate, client or patient; on persons with developmental disabilities and on persons who are 65 years and older who live in a residential center, an adult care home, subsidized housing, hospital long-term care unit, state institution or are served in a community senior service center, elderly nutrition program or at the home of a homebound person who qualifies for the federal home and community based service (HCBS) waiver on a resident of a facility, client or patient thereof so long as:
(1) The dental hygienist has received an "extended care permit III" from the Kansas dental board specifying that the dental hygienist has: (A) Performed 2,000 hours of dental hygiene care or has been an instructor at an accredited dental hygiene program for three academic years within the past four years; and (B) completed a course of study of 18 seat hours approved by the board which includes, but is not limited to, emergency dental care techniques, the preparation and placement of temporary restorations, the adjustment of dental prostheses and appropriate pharmacology;
(2) the dental hygienist shows proof of professional liability insurance;
(3) the dental hygienist is sponsored by a dentist licensed in the state of Kansas, including a signed agreement stating that the dentist shall monitor the dental hygienist's activities, except such dentist shall not monitor more than five dental hygienists with an extended care permit III;
(4) the tasks and procedures are limited to: (A) Removal of extraneous deposits, stains and debris from the teeth and the rendering of smooth surfaces of the teeth to the depths of the gingival sulci; (B) the application of topical anesthetic if the dental hygienist has completed the required course of instruction approved by the dental board; (C) the application of fluoride; (D) dental hygiene instruction; (E) assessment of the patient's apparent need for further evaluation by a dentist to diagnose the presence of dental caries and other abnormalities; (F) identification and removal of decay using hand instrumentation and placing a temporary filling, including glass ionomer and other palliative materials; (G) adjustment of dentures, placing soft reline in dentures, checking partial dentures for sore spots and placing permanent identification labeling in dentures; (H) smoothing of a sharp tooth with a slow speed dental handpiece; (I) use of local anesthetic, including topical, infiltration and block anesthesia, when appropriate to assist with procedures where medical services are available in a nursing home, health clinic or any other settings if the dental hygienist has completed a course on local anesthesia and nitrous oxide as required in this act; (J) extraction of deciduous teeth that are partially exfoliated with class 4 mobility; and (K) other duties as may be delegated verbally or in writing by the sponsoring dentist consistent with this act;
(5) the dental hygienist advises the patient and legal guardian that the services are palliative or preventive in nature and do not constitute comprehensive dental diagnosis and care;
(6) the dental hygienist provides a copy of the findings and the report of treatment to the sponsoring dentist and any other dental or medical supervisor at a participating organization found in this subsection;
(7) the dental hygienist notifies the patient or the patient's parent or legal guardian of such patient's need for treatment by a dentist, when the dental hygienist finds an apparent need for evaluation to diagnose the presence of dental caries and other abnormalities;
(8) any payment to the dental hygienist for dental hygiene services is received from the sponsoring dentist or the participating organization found in this subsection; and
(9) the dental hygienist completes a minimum of three hours of education related to the expanded scope of dental hygiene practice in subsection (h)(4) of this act within the board's continuing dental education requirements for relicensure.
(i) In addition to the duties specifically mentioned in subsection (b) any duly licensed dental hygienist may:
(1) Give fluoride treatments as a prophylactic measure, as defined by the United States public health service and as recommended for use in dentistry;
(2) remove overhanging restoration margins and periodontal surgery materials by hand scaling instruments; and
(3) administer local block and infiltration anaesthesia and nitrous oxide. (A) The administration of local anaesthesia shall be performed under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist except that topically applied local anaesthesia, as defined by the board, may be administered under the general supervision of a licensed dentist. (B) Each dental hygienist who administers local anaesthesia regardless of the type shall have completed courses of instruction in local anaesthesia and nitrous oxide which have been approved by the board.
(j) (1) The courses of instruction required in subsection (i)(3)(B) shall provide a minimum of 12 hours of instruction at a teaching institution accredited by the American dental association.
(2) The courses of instruction shall include courses which provide both didactic and clinical instruction in: (A) Theory of pain control; (B) anatomy; (C) medical history; (D) pharmacology; and (E) emergencies and complications.
(3) Certification in cardiac pulmonary resuscitation shall be required in all cases.
(k) The board is authorized to issue to a qualified dental hygienist an extended care permit I or extended care permit II, or extended care permit III as provided in subsections (f), (g) and (h) of this section.
(l) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a dental hygienist from providing dental hygiene instruction or visual oral health care screenings or fluoride applications in a school or community based setting regardless of the age of the patient.
(m) As used in this section, "dentally underserved" means a person who lacks resources to pay for medically necessary health care services and who meets the eligibility criteria for qualification as a medically indigent person established by the secretary of health and environment under K.S.A. 75-6120, and amendments thereto.
History: L. 1943, ch. 221, § 40; L. 1976, ch. 269, § 1; L. 1984, ch. 313, § 103; L. 1996, ch. 210, § 4; L. 1997, ch. 30, § 3; L. 1998, ch. 141, § 2; L. 2000, ch. 169, § 13; L. 2001, ch. 155, § 3; L. 2003, ch. 125, § 1; L. 2007, ch. 134, § 4; L. 2012, ch. 109, § 2; L. 2014, ch. 115, § 255; July 1.