La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § XXXIII-203

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 12, December 20, 2024

Section XXXIII-203 - Teledentistry

1. Teledentistry is defined as the use of medical or dental information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to provide dental treatment or diagnosis, but does not include email or telephone exchanges between a provider and a patient with whom an in-person provider-patient relationship has been established.

2. Treatment or diagnosis of a patient via teledentistry is considered to occur at the location of the patient at the time of the treatment or diagnosis.

3. Treatment or diagnosis via teledentistry may be provided to patients in Louisiana only by a dentist who holds a license issued by the Board of Dentistry. The Louisiana licensed dentist need not be in Louisiana while providing the teledentistry services.

4. An exception to the requirement that the provider of teledentistry services to a patient in Louisiana hold a Louisiana license is when a Louisiana licensed dentist with an in-person relationship with a patient consults an expert with a valid dental license in another United States jurisdiction for advice regarding the patients treatment or diagnosis; in this case the expert consulted need not have a Louisiana license.

5. The standard of care applicable to a provider of teledentistry services, including obtaining informed consent and record documentation, is no different from the standard of care required in traditional dentistry.

6. Direct supervision by a dentist of staff performing dental related tasks may not be done via teledentistry except as otherwise provided by §701 of these rules.

7. Controlled substances may not be prescribed via teledentistry except in emergency situations where the dentist determines:

a. That immediate administration of the controlled substance is necessary for proper treatment of the intended ultimate user, and

b. That no appropriate alternate treatment is available, including administration of a drug that is not a controlled substance.

In an emergency situation the prescription for a controlled substance must be limited to the amount adequate to treat the patient during the emergency period.

8. The provider of teledentistry services must provide his identity to the patient, his location at the time of the service, the location of the patient records produced as a result of the treatment, and information on how the patient can obtain copies of the records produced as a result of the treatment.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § XXXIII-203

Promulgated by the Department of Health, Board of Dentistry, LR 47236 (2/1/2021).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:760(8).