(a) The Board may approve a dental hygienist licensed in this State or any other state or territory to provide local anesthesia upon the dental hygienist meeting all of the following criteria:

(1) Produces satisfactory evidence of the required education, training, and clinical qualifications to provide local anesthesia.

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 90-225.3

  • Board: shall mean "The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners" created by Chapter 139, Public Laws of 1879, and Chapter 178, Public Laws of 1915 as continued in existence by N. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-221
  • Dental hygiene: as used in this Article shall mean the performance of the following functions: Complete oral prophylaxis, application of preventive agents to oral structures, exposure and processing of radiographs, administration of medicaments prescribed by a licensed dentist, preparation of diagnostic aids, and written records of oral conditions for interpretation by the dentist, together with such other and further functions as may be permitted by rules and regulations of the Board not inconsistent herewith. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-221
  • Dental hygienist: as used in this Article , shall mean any person who is a graduate of a Board-accredited school of dental hygiene, who has been licensed by the Board, and who practices dental hygiene as prescribed by the Board. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-221
  • Direct supervision: as used in this Article shall mean that acts are deemed to be under required supervision only when performed in a locale where the supervising licensed dentist is physically present and shall not include supervision under N. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-221
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Supervision: as used in this Article shall mean that acts are deemed to be under the supervision of a licensed dentist when performed in a locale where a licensed dentist is physically present during the performance of such acts, except those acts performed under direction and in compliance with N. See North Carolina General Statutes 90-221
  • United States: shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3

(2) Has been practicing dental hygiene, as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-221, under the supervision of a licensed dentist for a minimum of two years immediately preceding the date of the application.

(3) Has successfully completed a course of study on local anesthetics offered through a school or college approved by the United States Department of Education or a Board-approved continuing education provider that includes all of the following:

a. A minimum of 16 lecture hours on pharmacology, physiology, equipment, block and infiltration techniques, legal issues, and medical emergencies, including systemic complications.

b. A minimum of eight clinical hours of instruction and experience in administering local anesthesia injections.

c. Completion of at least 12 block and 12 infiltration injections under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist who must certify the applicant’s competency.

(b) If an applicant cannot satisfy the requirements as set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the Board may require the licensed dentist hygienist to complete all or parts of the requirements specified in subsection (a) of this section before the applicant can be qualified to administer intraoral, local dental anesthetics in this State.

(c) Dental hygienists who administer local anesthetics must maintain current CPR training and annually complete two hours of approved continuing education which shall include a review of local anesthetic technique, contraindications, systemic complications, medical emergencies related to local anesthesia, and a general overview of dental office emergencies. These hours may be among those chosen to satisfy the hours of continuing education otherwise required of licensed dental hygienists in this Article. (2021-95, s. 2(d).)

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