| (a) The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) "Dental industry professional organization"--any organization, the primary mission of which is to represent and support dentists, dental hygienists, and/or dental assistants; (2) "Didactic education" requires the presentation and instruction of theory and scientific principles. (3) "Direct Supervision" requires that the dentist responsible for the procedure shall be physically present during patient care and shall be aware of the patient's physical status and well-being. (b) A Texas-licensed dentist may delegate the monitoring of the administration of nitrous oxide to a dental assistant, if the dental assistant: (1) works under the direct supervision of the licensed dentist; and (2) is certified pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. (c) A dental assistant wishing to obtain certification under this section must: (1) Pay an application fee set by board rule; and (2) On a form prescribed by the board, provide proof that the applicant has: (A) Successfully completed a current course in basic life support; and, (B) Completed a minimum of 8 hours of didactic education and testing in monitoring the administration of nitrous oxide taken through a CODA-accredited dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting program, approved by the board, whose course of instruction includes: (i) Texas Jurisprudence, including but not limited to: anesthesia standard of care, anesthesia/analgesia, enteral conscious sedation, and this rule, regarding monitoring the administration of nitrous oxide; (ii) Dental anatomy and physiology; (iii) Pharmacology; (iv) Sedation equipment; (v) Infection control; (vi) Patient monitoring; and (vii) Recognition and management of medical emergencies. (d) The jurisprudence assessment may be completed to satisfy the requirements set out in subsection (c)(2)(B)(i) of this section. (e) A program seeking to offer a course in monitoring the administration of nitrous oxide must submit a written request for approval to the board demonstrating that it meets the requirements set forth in subsection (c)(2)(B) of this section. Additionally, all courses must include a mandatory competency evaluation with a minimum of 50 test items. Course documentation must be maintained by the course provider for no less than three years. (f) Approved courses may be offered at annual meetings of dental industry professional organizations. (g) Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of this section are valid for five (5) years from the date of course completion for certification purposes. |
