Public Act 100-0976
 
SB2631 EnrolledLRB100 16398 SMS 31526 b


  
    AN ACT concerning regulation.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  


 
 
    Section 5. The Illinois Dental Practice Act is amended  by 
changing Sections 11, 17, and 17.1 as follows:
 



    (225 ILCS 25/11)  (from Ch. 111, par. 2311)



    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

    Sec. 11. Types of dental licenses. The Department shall 
have the
authority to issue the following types of licenses:

    (a) General licenses.  The Department shall issue a license 
authorizing
practice as a dentist to any person who qualifies 
for a license under this Act.

    (b) Specialty licenses.  The Department shall issue a

license authorizing practice as a specialist in any particular

branch of dentistry to any dentist who has complied with the

requirements established for that particular branch of 
dentistry at the
time of making application. The Department 
shall establish additional
requirements of any dentist who 
announces or holds himself or herself out
to the public as a 
specialist or as being specially qualified in any
particular 
branch of dentistry.

    No dentist shall announce or hold himself or herself out to 
the public as
a specialist or as being specially qualified in 
any particular branch of
dentistry unless he or she is licensed 
to practice in that specialty of
dentistry.

    The fact that any dentist shall announce by card, 
letterhead or any
other form of communication using terms as 
"Specialist," "Practice
Limited To" or "Limited to Specialty 
of" with the name of the branch of
dentistry practiced as a 
specialty, or shall use equivalent words or
phrases to announce 
the same, shall be prima facie evidence that the
dentist is 
holding himself or herself out to the public as a specialist.

    (c) Temporary training licenses.  Persons who wish to pursue

specialty or other advanced clinical educational programs
in an 
approved dental school or a hospital situated
in this State, or 
persons who wish to pursue programs of specialty
training in 
dental public health in public agencies in this State, may

receive without examination, in the discretion of the 
Department, a
temporary training license.  In order to receive a 
temporary
training license under this subsection, an applicant 
shall furnish
satisfactory proof to the Department that:


        (1) The applicant is at least 21 years of age and is of 
    good moral
character. In determining moral character under 
    this Section, the
Department may take into consideration 
    any felony conviction of the
applicant, but such a 
    conviction shall not operate as bar to licensure;


        (2) The applicant has been accepted or appointed for 
    specialty or
residency training by an approved hospital 
    situated in this State, by an
approved dental school 
    situated in this State, or by a public health agency
in 
    this State the training programs of which are recognized 
    and approved by
the Department.  The applicant shall 
    indicate the beginning and ending
dates of the period for 
    which he or she has been accepted or appointed;


        (3) The applicant is a graduate of a dental school or 
    college approved
and in good standing in the judgment of 
    the Department.
The Department may consider diplomas or 
    certifications of education, or both,
accompanied by 
    transcripts of course work and credits awarded to determine

    if an applicant has graduated from a dental school or 
    college approved and
in good standing.  The Department may 
    also consider diplomas or
certifications of education, or 
    both, accompanied by transcripts of course
work and credits 
    awarded in determining whether a dental school or college

    is approved and in good standing.

    Temporary training licenses issued under this
Section 
shall be valid only for the duration of the period of residency 
or
specialty training and may be extended or renewed as 
prescribed by rule.
The holder of a valid temporary training 
license shall be entitled thereby to
perform acts as may be 
prescribed by and incidental to his or her program of
residency 
or specialty training; but he or she shall not be entitled to

engage in the practice of dentistry in this State.

    A temporary training license may be revoked by the

Department upon proof that the holder has engaged in the

practice of dentistry in this State outside of his or her 
program of residency
or specialty training, or if the holder 
shall fail to supply the
Department, within 10 days of its 
request, with information as to his
or her current status and 
activities in his or her specialty training program.

    (d) Faculty limited Restricted faculty licenses.
Persons 
who have received full-time appointments to
teach dentistry at 
an approved dental school or hospital situated in this
State 
may receive without examination, in the discretion of the 
Department,
a restricted faculty limited license.  In order to

receive a restricted faculty limited license an applicant shall 
furnish satisfactory
proof to the Department that:


        (1) The applicant is at least 21 years of age, is of 
    good moral
character and is licensed to
practice dentistry 
    in another state or country; and


        (2) The applicant has a full-time appointment to teach

    dentistry at an approved
dental school or hospital situated 
    in this State.

    Faculty limited Restricted faculty licenses issued under

this Section shall be
valid for a period of 3 years and may be 
extended or
renewed.  The
holder of a valid restricted faculty 
limited license
may perform acts as may
be required by his or 
her teaching of dentistry.
In addition, the holder of a 
restricted faculty limited license may practice general

dentistry or in his or her area of specialty, but only in a 
clinic or office
affiliated with the dental school.  Any 
restricted faculty limited license issued to a
faculty member 
under this Section shall terminate immediately and

automatically,
without any further action by the Department, if 
the holder ceases to be a
faculty member at an approved dental 
school or hospital in this State.

    The Department may revoke a restricted faculty limited 
license for a violation of
this Act or its rules, or if the 
holder fails to
supply the Department, within 10 days of its 
request, with information as
to his current status and 
activities in his teaching program.

    (e) Inactive status.  Any person who holds one of the 
licenses
under subsection (a) or (b) of Section 11 or under 
Section 12 of this Act may
elect, upon payment of
the required 
fee, to place his or her license on an inactive status and 
shall,
subject to the rules of the
Department, be excused from 
the payment of renewal fees until he or she
notifies the 
Department in writing of his or her desire to resume active

status.

    Any licensee requesting restoration from inactive status 
shall be
required to pay the current renewal fee and upon 
payment the Department
shall be required to restore his or her 
license, as provided in Section 16 of
this Act.

    Any licensee whose license is in an
inactive status shall 
not practice in the State of Illinois.

    (f) Certificates of Identification.  In addition to the 
licenses
authorized by this Section, the Department shall 
deliver to each dentist a
certificate of identification in a 
form specified by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 94-409, eff. 12-31-05.)

 


    (225 ILCS 25/17)  (from Ch. 111, par. 2317)


    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

    Sec. 17. Acts constituting the practice of dentistry. A 
person
practices dentistry, within the meaning of this Act:

        (1) Who represents himself or herself  as being able to 
    diagnose or diagnoses,
treats, prescribes, or operates for 
    any disease, pain, deformity, deficiency,
injury, or 
    physical condition of the human tooth, teeth, alveolar 
    process,
gums or jaw; or

        (2) Who is a manager, proprietor, operator or conductor 
    of a
business where
dental operations are performed; or

        (3) Who performs dental operations of any kind; or

        (4) Who uses an X-Ray machine or X-Ray films for
dental 
    diagnostic purposes; or

        (5) Who extracts a human tooth or teeth, or corrects or 
    attempts to
correct
malpositions of the human teeth or 
    jaws; or

        (6) Who offers or undertakes, by any means or method, 
    to diagnose, treat
or remove stains, calculus, and bonding 
    materials from human teeth or jaws; or

        (7) Who uses or administers local or general 
    anesthetics in the treatment
of dental or oral diseases or 
    in any preparation incident to a dental operation
of any 
    kind or character; or

        (8) Who takes material or digital scans for final 
    impressions of the human tooth, teeth, or jaws or performs

    any phase of any operation incident to the replacement of a 
    part of a tooth,
a tooth, teeth or associated tissues by 
    means of a filling, crown, a bridge,
a denture or other 
    appliance; or

        (9) Who offers to furnish, supply, construct, 
    reproduce or repair, or
who furnishes, supplies, 
    constructs, reproduces or repairs, prosthetic
dentures, 
    bridges or other substitutes for natural teeth, to the user 
    or
prospective user thereof; or

        (10) Who instructs students on clinical matters or 
    performs any clinical
operation included in the curricula 
    of recognized dental schools and colleges; or

        (11) Who takes material or digital scans for final 
    impressions of human teeth or places his or her hands in 
    the mouth of any person for the purpose of applying teeth 
    whitening materials, or who takes impressions of human 
    teeth or places his or her hands in the mouth of any person 
    for the purpose of assisting in the application of teeth 
    whitening materials. A person does not practice dentistry 
    when he or she discloses to the consumer that he or she is 
    not licensed as a dentist under this Act and (i) discusses 
    the use of teeth whitening materials with a consumer 
    purchasing these materials; (ii) provides instruction on 
    the use of teeth whitening materials with a consumer 
    purchasing these materials; or (iii) provides appropriate 
    equipment on-site to the consumer for the consumer to 
    self-apply teeth whitening materials. 
    The fact that any person engages in or performs, or offers 
to engage in
or perform, any of the practices, acts, or 
operations set forth in this
Section, shall be prima facie 
evidence that such person is engaged in the
practice of 
dentistry.

    The following practices, acts, and operations, however, 
are exempt from
the operation of this Act:

        (a) The rendering of dental relief in emergency cases 
    in the practice
of his or her profession by a physician or 
    surgeon, licensed as such
under the laws of this State, 
    unless he or she  undertakes to reproduce or reproduces
lost 
    parts of the human teeth in the mouth or to restore or 
    replace lost
or missing teeth in the mouth; or

        (b) The practice of dentistry in the discharge of their 
    official duties
by dentists in any branch of the Armed 
    Services of the United States, the
United States Public 
    Health Service, or the United States Veterans

    Administration; or

        (c) The practice of dentistry by students in their 
    course of study
in dental schools or colleges approved by 
    the Department, when acting under the
direction and 
    supervision of dentists acting as instructors; or

        (d) The practice of dentistry by clinical instructors 
    in the course of
their teaching duties in dental schools or 
    colleges approved by the
Department:

            (i) when acting under the direction and 
        supervision of dentists,
provided that such clinical 
        instructors have instructed continuously in
this State 
        since January 1, 1986; or

            (ii) when holding the rank of full professor at 
        such approved dental
school or college and possessing a 
        current valid license or authorization
to practice 
        dentistry in another country; or

        (e) The practice of dentistry by licensed dentists of 
    other states or
countries at meetings of the Illinois State 
    Dental Society or component
parts thereof, alumni meetings 
    of dental colleges, or any other like dental
organizations, 
    while appearing as clinicians; or

        (f) The use of X-Ray machines for exposing X-Ray films 
    of dental or oral
tissues by dental hygienists or dental 
    assistants; or

        (g) The performance of any dental service by a dental 
    assistant, if such
service is performed under the 
    supervision and full responsibility of a
dentist. In 
    addition, after being authorized by a dentist, a dental 
    assistant may, for the purpose of eliminating pain or 
    discomfort, remove loose, broken, or irritating 
    orthodontic appliances on a patient of record. 

        For purposes of this paragraph (g), "dental service" is 
    defined to mean
any intraoral procedure or act which shall 
    be prescribed by rule or
regulation of the Department.  
    Dental service, however, shall not include:

            (1) Any and all diagnosis of or prescription for 
        treatment of disease,
pain, deformity, deficiency, 
        injury or physical condition of the human teeth
or 
        jaws, or adjacent structures.

            (2) Removal of, or restoration of, or addition
to 
        the hard or soft tissues of the oral cavity, except for 
        the placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam 
        restorations and placing, packing, and finishing 
        composite restorations by dental assistants who have 
        had additional formal education and certification as 
        determined by the Department. 
            A dental assistant may place, carve, and finish 
        amalgam restorations, place, pack, and finish 
        composite restorations, and place interim restorations 
        if he or she has at least 4,000 hours of direct 
        clinical patient care experience and has successfully 
        completed a structured training program provided by: 
        (A) an educational institution accredited by the 
        Commission on Dental Accreditation, such as a dental 
        school or dental hygiene or dental assistant program, 
        or (B) a statewide dental association, approved by the 
        Department to provide continuing education, that has 
        developed and conducted  training programs for expanded 
        functions for dental assistants or hygienists. The 
        training program must: (i) include a minimum of 16 
        hours of didactic study and 14 hours of clinical 
        manikin instruction; all training programs shall 
        include areas of study in nomenclature, caries 
        classifications, oral anatomy, periodontium, basic 
        occlusion, instrumentations, pulp protection liners 
        and bases, dental materials, matrix and wedge 
        techniques, amalgam placement and carving, rubber dam 
        clamp placement, and rubber dam placement and removal; 
        (ii) include an outcome assessment examination that 
        demonstrates competency; (iii) require the supervising 
        dentist to observe and approve the completion of 8 
        amalgam or composite restorations; and (iv) issue a 
        certificate of completion of the training program, 
        which must be kept on file at the dental office and be 
        made available to the Department upon request. A dental 
        assistant must have successfully completed an approved 
        coronal polishing and dental sealant course prior to 
        taking the amalgam and composite restoration course. 
            A dentist utilizing dental assistants shall not 
        supervise more than 4 dental assistants at any one time 
        for placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam 
        restorations or for placing, packing, and finishing 
        composite restorations.

            (3) Any and all correction of malformation of teeth 
        or of the jaws.

            (4) Administration of anesthetics, except for 
        monitoring of
nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, deep 
        sedation, and general anesthetic as provided in 
        Section 8.1 of this Act, that may be performed only 
        after successful completion of a training
program 
        approved by the Department. A dentist utilizing dental 
        assistants shall not supervise more than 4 dental 
        assistants at any one time for the monitoring of 
        nitrous oxide.

            (5) Removal of calculus from human teeth.

            (6) Taking of material or digital scans for final 
        impressions for the fabrication of prosthetic

        appliances,
crowns,
bridges, inlays, onlays, or other 
        restorative or replacement
dentistry.

            (7) The operative procedure of dental hygiene 
        consisting of oral
prophylactic procedures, except for 
        coronal polishing and pit and fissure sealants,
 which 
        may be
performed by a
dental assistant who has 
        successfully completed a training program approved by

        the Department.  Dental assistants may perform coronal 
        polishing under the
following circumstances: (i) the 
        coronal polishing shall be limited to
polishing the

        clinical crown of the tooth and existing restorations, 
        supragingivally; (ii)
the
dental assistant performing 
        the coronal polishing shall be limited to the use
of

        rotary instruments using a rubber cup or brush 
        polishing method (air polishing
is
not permitted); and 
        (iii)  the supervising dentist shall not supervise more

        than 4
dental assistants at any one time for the task 
        of coronal polishing or pit and fissure sealants.

            In addition to coronal polishing and pit and 
        fissure sealants as described in this item (7), a 
        dental assistant who has at least 2,000 hours of direct 
        clinical patient care experience and who has 
        successfully completed a structured training program 
        provided by (1) an educational institution such as a 
        dental school or dental hygiene or dental assistant 
        program, or (2) by a statewide dental or dental 
        hygienist association, approved by the Department on 
        or before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 
        the 99th General Assembly, that has developed and 
        conducted a training program for expanded functions 
        for dental assistants or hygienists may perform: (A) 
        coronal scaling above the gum line, supragingivally, 
        on the clinical crown of the tooth only on patients 12 
        years of age or younger who have an absence of 
        periodontal disease and who are not medically 
        compromised or individuals with special needs and (B) 
        intracoronal temporization of a tooth. The training 
        program must: (I) include a minimum of 16 hours of 
        instruction in both didactic and clinical manikin or 
        human subject instruction; all training programs shall 
        include areas of study in dental anatomy, public health 
        dentistry, medical history, dental emergencies, and 
        managing the pediatric patient; (II) include an 
        outcome assessment examination that demonstrates 
        competency; (III) require the supervising dentist to 
        observe and approve the completion of 6 full mouth 
        supragingival scaling procedures; and (IV) issue a 
        certificate of completion of the training program, 
        which must be kept on file at the dental office and be 
        made available to the Department upon request. A dental 
        assistant must have successfully completed an approved 
        coronal polishing course prior to taking the coronal 
        scaling course. A dental assistant performing these 
        functions shall be limited to the use of hand 
        instruments only. In addition, coronal scaling as 
        described in this paragraph shall only be utilized on 
        patients who are eligible for Medicaid or who are 
        uninsured and whose household income is not greater 
        than 200% of the federal poverty level. A dentist may 
        not supervise more than 2 dental assistants at any one 
        time for the task of coronal scaling. This paragraph is 
        inoperative on and after January 1, 2021.
        The limitations on the number of dental assistants a 
    dentist may supervise contained in items (2), (4), and (7) 
    of this paragraph (g) mean a limit of 4 total dental 
    assistants or dental hygienists doing expanded functions 
    covered by these Sections being supervised by one dentist. 
        (h) The practice of dentistry by an individual who:

            (i) has applied in writing to the Department, in 
        form and substance
satisfactory to the Department, for 
        a general dental license and has
complied with all 
        provisions of Section 9 of this Act, except for the

        passage of the examination specified in subsection (e) 
        of Section 9 of this
Act; or

            (ii) has applied in writing to the Department, in 
        form and substance
satisfactory to the Department, for 
        a temporary dental license and has
complied with all 
        provisions of subsection (c) of Section 11 of this Act; 
        and

            (iii) has been accepted or appointed for specialty 
        or residency training
by a hospital situated in this 
        State; or

            (iv) has been accepted or appointed for specialty 
        training in an
approved dental program situated in this 
        State; or

            (v) has been accepted or appointed for specialty 
        training in a dental
public health agency situated in 
        this State.

        The applicant shall be permitted to practice dentistry 
    for a period of 3
months from the starting date of the 
    program, unless authorized in writing
by the Department to 
    continue such practice for a period specified in
writing by 
    the Department.

        The applicant shall only be entitled to perform such 
    acts as may be
prescribed by and incidental to his or her  
    program of residency or specialty
training and shall not 
    otherwise engage in the practice of dentistry in this

    State.

        The authority to practice shall terminate immediately 
    upon:

            (1) the decision of the Department that the 
        applicant has failed the
examination; or

            (2) denial of licensure by the Department; or

            (3) withdrawal of the application.

(Source: P.A. 99-492, eff. 12-31-15; 99-680, eff. 1-1-17; 
100-215, eff. 1-1-18.)

 
    (225 ILCS 25/17.1)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)
    Sec. 17.1. Expanded function dental assistants.
    (a) A dental assistant who has completed training as 
provided in subsection (b) of this Section in all of the 
following areas may hold himself or herself out as an expanded 
function dental assistant:
        (1)  Taking material or digital scans for final 
    impressions after completing a training program that 
    includes either didactic objectives or clinical skills and 
    functions that demonstrate competency.
        (2) Performing pulp vitality test after completing a 
    training program that includes either didactic objectives 
    or clinical skills and functions that demonstrate 
    competency.
        (3) Placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam 
    restorations and placing, packing, and finishing composite 
    restorations as allowed under Section 17.
        (4) Starting the flow of oxygen and monitoring of 
    nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia as allowed under Section 
    17.
        (5) Coronal polishing and pit and fissure sealants, as 
    currently allowed under Section 17 by law.
    All procedures listed in paragraphs (1) through (5) for 
dental assistants must be performed under the supervision of a 
dentist, requiring the dentist authorizes the procedure, 
remains in the dental facility while the procedure is 
performed, and approves the work performed by the dental 
assistant before dismissal of the patient, but the dentist is 
not required to be present at all times in the treatment room. 
    After the completion of training as provided in subsection 
(b) of this Section, an expanded function dental assistant may 
perform any of the services listed in this subsection (a) 
pursuant to the limitations of this Act.
    (b) Certification and training as an expanded function 
dental assistant must be obtained from one of the following 
sources: (i) an approved continuing education sponsor; (ii) a 
dental assistant training program approved by the Commission on 
Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association; or 
(iii) a training program approved by the Department.
    Training required under this subsection (b) must also 
include Basic Life Support certification, as described in 
Section 16 of this Act. Proof of current certification shall be 
kept on file with the supervising dentist.
    (c) Any procedures listed in subsection (a) that are 
performed by an expanded function dental assistant must be 
approved by the supervising dentist and examined prior to 
dismissal of the patient.  The supervising dentist shall be 
responsible for all dental services or procedures performed by 
the dental assistant.
    (d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to alter the 
number of dental assistants that a dentist may supervise under 
paragraph (g) of Section 17 of this Act.
    (e) Nothing in this Act shall: (1) require a dental 
assistant to be certified as an expanded function dental 
assistant or (2) prevent a dentist from training dental 
assistants in accordance with the provisions of Section 17 of 
this Act or rules pertaining to dental assistant duties.

(Source: P.A. 100-215, eff. 1-1-18.)
 



    (225 ILCS 25/18)
  (from Ch. 111, par. 2318)



    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

    Sec. 18. Acts constituting the practice of dental hygiene;

limitations.
    (a) A person practices dental hygiene within the meaning of 
this Act when
he or she performs the following acts under the 
supervision of a dentist:


            (i) the operative procedure of dental hygiene, 
        consisting of oral
prophylactic procedures;


            (ii) the exposure and processing of X-Ray films of 
        the teeth and
surrounding structures;


            (iii) the application to the surfaces of the teeth 
        or gums of chemical
compounds designed to be 
        desensitizing agents or effective agents in the

        prevention of dental caries or periodontal disease;


            (iv) all services which may be performed by a

        dental assistant as specified by rule pursuant to 
        Section 17, and a dental hygienist may engage in the 
        placing, carving, and finishing of amalgam 
        restorations only after obtaining formal education and 
        certification as determined by the Department;


            (v) administration and monitoring of nitrous oxide 
        upon successful
completion of a
training program 
        approved by the Department;


            (vi) administration of local anesthetics upon 
        successful completion of
a
training program approved 
        by the Department; and


            (vii) such other procedures and acts as shall be 
        prescribed
by
rule or regulation of the Department.

    (b) A dental hygienist may be employed or engaged only:

        (1) by a dentist;

        (2) by a federal, State, county, or municipal agency or 
    institution;

        (3) by a public or private school; or

        (4) by a public clinic operating under the direction of 
    a hospital or
federal,
State, county, municipal, or other 
    public agency or institution.

    (c) When employed or engaged in the office of a dentist, a 
dental hygienist
may
perform, under general supervision, those 
procedures found in items (i) through
(iv) of
subsection (a) of 
this Section, provided the patient has been examined by the

dentist
within one year of the provision of dental hygiene 
services, the dentist has
approved the
dental hygiene services 
by a notation in the patient's record and the patient
has been

notified that the dentist may be out of the office during the 
provision of
dental hygiene
services.

    (d) If a patient of record is unable to travel to a dental 
office because of
illness,
infirmity, or
imprisonment, a dental 
hygienist may perform, under the general supervision of
a 
dentist,
those procedures found in items (i) through (iv) of 
subsection (a) of this
Section,
provided the patient is located 
in a long-term care facility licensed by the
State of Illinois,

a mental health or developmental disability facility, or a 
State or federal
prison.  The dentist
shall personally examine 
and diagnose the patient and determine which
services are 
necessary to be performed, which shall be contained in an order 
to the hygienist and a notation in the patient's record.
Such 
order must be implemented within 120 days
of its issuance, and 
an updated medical history and observation of oral
conditions


must be performed by the hygienist immediately prior to 
beginning the
procedures to ensure that the patient's health 
has not changed in any
manner to warrant a reexamination by the 
dentist.

    (e) School-based oral health care,
consisting of and 
limited to oral prophylactic
procedures, sealants, and 
fluoride treatments,
may be provided by a dental hygienist

under the general supervision of a dentist. A dental hygienist 
may not provide
other dental hygiene treatment in a 
school-based setting, including but not
limited to 
administration or monitoring of nitrous oxide or 
administration of
local anesthetics. The school-based 
procedures may be performed provided the
patient is located at 
a public or private school and the program is being
conducted 
by a State, county or local public health department initiative 
or in
conjunction with a dental school or dental hygiene 
program.
 The dentist shall personally examine and diagnose the 
patient and
determine
which services are necessary to be 
performed, which shall be contained in an
order to the

hygienist and a notation in the patient's record. Any such 
order for sealants must be implemented within 120 days after 
its issuance. Any such order for oral prophylactic procedures 
or fluoride treatments must be implemented within 180 days 
after its issuance. An updated medical history and observation 
of
oral conditions
must be
performed by the hygienist 
immediately prior to beginning the procedures to
ensure that

the patient's health has not changed in any manner to warrant a 
reexamination
by the
dentist.

    (f) Without the supervision of a dentist, a dental 
hygienist
may perform
dental health education functions and may 
record case histories and oral
conditions observed.

    (g) The number of dental hygienists practicing in a dental 
office shall
not
exceed, at any one time, 4 times the number of 
dentists practicing in the
office at the time.

    (h) A dental hygienist who is certified as a public health 
dental hygienist may provide services to patients: (1) who are 
eligible for Medicaid or (2) who are uninsured and whose 
household income is not greater than 200% of the federal 
poverty level. A public health dental hygienist may perform 
oral assessments, perform screenings, and provide educational 
and preventative services as provided in subsection (b) of 
Section 18.1 of this Act.  The public health dental hygienist 
may not administer local anesthesia or nitrous oxide, or place, 
carve, or finish amalgam restorations or provide periodontal 
therapy under this exception.  Each patient must sign a consent 
form that acknowledges that the care received does not take the 
place of a regular dental examination.  The public health dental 
hygienist must provide the patient or guardian a written 
referral to a dentist for assessment of the need for further 
dental care at the time of treatment. Any indication or 
observation of a condition that could warrant the need for 
urgent attention must be reported immediately to the 
supervising dentist for appropriate assessment and treatment. 
    This subsection (h) is inoperative on and after January 1, 
2021. 
    (i)   A dental hygienist performing procedures listed in 
paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) of Section 17.1 
must be under the supervision of a dentist, requiring the 
dentist authorizes the procedure, remains in the dental 
facility while the procedure is performed, and approves the 
work performed by the dental hygienist before dismissal of the 
patient, but the dentist is not required to be present at all 
times in the treatment room.
    (j)   A dental hygienist may perform actions described in 
paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Section 17.1 under the 
general supervision of a dentist as described in this Section. 
(Source: P.A. 99-492, eff. 12-31-15.)




Effective Date:  1/1/2019