093_SB0595
LRB093 08040 AMC 08239 b
1 AN ACT concerning dental hygienists.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Dental Practice Act is amended
5 by changing Section 18 as follows:
6 (225 ILCS 25/18) (from Ch. 111, par. 2318)
7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2006)
8 Sec. 18. Acts constituting the practice of dental
9 hygiene;. limitations. A dental hygienist may be employed or
10 engaged only:
11 (a) Under the supervision of a dentist:
12 (1) In the office of a dentist;
13 (2) By a federal, State, county or municipal
14 agency or institution;
15 (3) By a public or private school; or
16 (4) By a public clinic operating under the
17 direction of a hospital or federal, State, county,
18 municipal or other public agency or institution.
19 When employed or engaged pursuant to this paragraph (a) a
20 dental hygienist may perform the following procedures and
21 acts:
22 (i) the operative procedure of dental hygiene,
23 consisting of oral prophylactic procedures;
24 (ii) the exposure and processing of X-Ray
25 films of the teeth and surrounding structures;
26 (iii) the application to the surfaces of the
27 teeth or gums of chemical compounds designed to be
28 desensitizing agents or effective agents in the
29 prevention of dental caries or periodontal disease;
30 (iv) all services which may be performed by a
31 dental assistant as specified by rule pursuant to
-2- LRB093 08040 AMC 08239 b
1 Section 17;
2 (v) administration and monitoring of nitrous
3 oxide upon successful completion of a training
4 program approved by the Department of Professional
5 Regulation;
6 (vi) administration of local anesthetics upon
7 successful completion of a training program approved
8 by the Department; and
9 (vii) such other procedures and acts as shall
10 be prescribed by rule or regulation of the
11 Department.
12 (b) Under the general supervision of a dentist in a
13 long-term care facility licensed by the State of
14 Illinois, or a mental health or developmental disability
15 facility operated by the Department of Human Services, if
16 the patient is unable to travel to a dental office
17 because of illness or infirmity. The dentist shall
18 personally examine and diagnose the patient and determine
19 which services are necessary to be performed, which shall
20 be contained in a written order to the hygienist. Such
21 order must be implemented within 90 days of its issuance,
22 and an updated medical history and oral inspection must
23 be performed by the hygienist immediately prior to
24 beginning the procedures to ensure that the patient's
25 health has not changed in any manner to warrant a
26 reexamination by the dentist.
27 (c) Without the supervision of a dentist, a dental
28 hygienist may perform dental health education functions
29 and may record case histories and oral conditions
30 observed.
31 The number of dental hygienists practicing in a dental
32 office shall not exceed, at any one time, 4 times the number
33 of dentists practicing in the office at the time.
34 (Source: P.A. 91-594, eff. 1-1-00; 91-689, eff. 1-1-01.)