Texas Register

TITLE 22 EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 5STATE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS
CHAPTER 114EXTENSION OF DUTIES OF AUXILIARY PERSONNEL--DENTAL ASSISTANTS
RULE §114.3[Application of] Pit and Fissure Sealants Certificate
ISSUE 10/02/2009
ACTION Proposed
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)(No change.)

(b)This subsection applies only to applications for certification received by the Board before September 1, 2009. A Texas-licensed dentist who is enrolled as a Medicaid Provider with appropriate state agencies, or who practices in an area determined to be underserved by the Department of State Health Services [ Texas Department of Health], may delegate the application of a pit and fissure sealant to a dental assistant, if the dental assistant:

  (1)(No change.)

  (2)is certified pursuant to subsection (f) [ (e)] of this section.

(c)This subsection applies only to applications for certification received by the Board on or after September 1, 2009. A Texas-licensed dentist may delegate the application of pit and fissure sealant to a dental assistant, if the dental assistant is certified pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.

(d) [(c)] In addition to application of pit and fissure sealants a dental assistant certified in this section may use a rubber prophylaxis cup and appropriate polishing materials to cleanse the occlusal and smooth surfaces of teeth that will be sealed or to prepare teeth for application of orthodontic bonding resins. Cleansing is intended only to prepare the teeth for the application of sealants or bonding resins and should not exceed the amount needed to do so.

(e) [(d)] The dentist may not bill for a cleansing provided hereunder as a prophylaxis.

(f) [(e)] A dental assistant wishing to obtain certification under this section must:

  (1)Pay an application fee set by board rule;

  (2)And on a form prescribed by the Board [ board] provide proof that the applicant has:

    (A)At least two years of experience as a dental assistant;

    (B)Successfully completed a current course in basic life support; and,

    (C)Complete a minimum of 16 hours of education for certificates issued under applications received by the Board before September 1, 2009 or complete a minimum of 8 hours of education for certificates issued under applications received by the Board on or after September 1, 2009. To fulfill this requirement, the education must include [Completed a minimum of 16 hours of] clinical and didactic education in pit and fissure sealants taken through a CODA-accredited dental hygiene or dental assisting program approved by the Board [board] whose course of instruction includes:

      (i)infection control;

      (ii)cardiopulmonary resuscitation;

      (iii)treatment of medical emergencies;

      (iv)microbiology;

      (v)chemistry;

      (vi)dental anatomy;

      (vii)ethics related to pit and fissure sealants;

      (viii)jurisprudence related to pit and fissure sealants; and

      (ix)the correct application of sealants, including the actual clinical application of sealants.[; and]

(g) [(f)] Before January 1 of each year, a dental assistant registered under this section who wishes to renew that registration must:

  (1)Pay a renewal fee set by board rule; and

  (2)Submit proof that the applicant has successfully completed a current course in basic life support; and either[ ,]

  (3)For certificates issued under applications filed before September 1, 2009, the dental assistant must complete [ Provide proof of completion of] at least six (6) hours of continuing education in technical and scientific coursework in the previous calendar year.

    (A)The terms "technical" and "scientific", as applied to continuing education, shall mean that courses have significant intellectual or practical content and are designed to directly enhance the practitioner's knowledge and skill in providing clinical care to the individual patient.

    (B)Dental assistants shall select and participate in continuing education courses offered by or endorsed by:

      (i)dental schools, dental hygiene schools, or dental assisting schools that have been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association; or,

      (ii)nationally recognized dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting organizations.

    (C)No more than three (3) hours of the required continuing education coursework may be in self-study; or[.]

   (4)For certificates issued under applications filed on or after September 1, 2009, the dental assistant must complete continuing education requirements in accordance with §114.12 of this chapter.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on September 17, 2009

TRD-200904128

Sherri Sanders Meek

Executive Director

State Board of Dental Examiners

Earliest possible date of adoption: November 1, 2009

For further information, please call: (512) 475-0972



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