La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § XXXIII-710

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 5, May 20, 2024

Section XXXIII-710 - Administration of Local Anesthesia for Dental Purposes

A. After satisfying the board of his or her competence to administer local anesthesia, a licensed dental hygienist may qualify for a special endorsement to administer local anesthesia for dental procedures under the direct on-premises supervision of a licensed dentist.

B. Competence to administer local anesthesia must be demonstrated to the board by successful completion of a course of study of at least 32 hours of instruction in a formal program in administration of local anesthesia sponsored by an institutional program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and approved by the board. A certificate of course completion and a copy of the syllabus must be submitted to the board for approval. The course must include didactic studies and clinical experience in the administration of long buccal, maxillary and mandibular infiltration anesthesia, mental block anesthesia, lingual nerve block, inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia, medical history and physical evaluation of the patient, and the prevention, diagnosis, and management of medical emergencies which can be encountered in the dental patient. A minimum of 20 satisfactory injections is required.

C. The curriculum for required study must include, but is not necessarily limited to:

1. medical history evaluation procedures;

2. physical evaluation;

3. CPR certification in accordance with board rules;

4. understanding pharmacology of local anesthesia and vasoconstrictors;

5. local anesthesia, didactic, and clinical course:

a. anatomy of head, neck, and oral cavity as it relates to administering local anesthetic agents;

b. indications and contraindications for administration of local anesthesia;

c. selection and preparation of the armamentaria and record keeping for administering various local anesthetic agents;

d. medical and legal management complications;

e. recognition and management of post-injection complications and management of reactions to injections;

f. proper infection control techniques with regard to local anesthesia and proper disposal of sharps;

g. methods of administering local anesthetic agents with emphasis on:

i. technique;

(a). aspiration;

(b). slow injection; and

ii. minimum effective dosage;

6. medical emergency, prevention, diagnosis, and management.

D. The applicant must pass the board approved written examination in the administration of local anesthesia, depending upon the circumstances, if deemed necessary by the board.

E. A dental hygienist who has been licensed and trained in a course equivalent to §710.B and C to administer local anesthesia in another state may qualify, at the discretion of the board, to be permitted to administer local anesthesia in Louisiana by presenting written documentation of such licensure and training to the board and documentation of experience. Factors to be considered are whether the dental hygienist had satisfactorily completed a course at a dental hygiene school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation or by having successfully completed a continuing education course in local anesthesia comparable to the requirements set forth in §710.B and C.

F. The permit to administer local anesthesia shall expire with the expiration of the dental hygienist's license to practice dental hygiene.

G. A licensed dental hygienist who has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the board may qualify for a special endorsement and may undertake the administration of local anesthesia by:

1. providing satisfactory documentation via affidavit provided by the board evidencing the administration of local anesthesia for a period of not less than six months upon a minimum of fifty patients with no adverse complications;

2. substantiating the adequacy of training via affidavit provided by the board in the administration of local anesthesia; and

3. agreeing in writing via affidavit provided by the board to administer local anesthesia as provided by these rules.

H. Any hygienist who is not certified by the state of Louisiana in local anesthesia and who performs such a procedure is subject to severe sanctions up to and including revocation of his/her license. The dentist under whose instructions he/she performed the procedure will be subject to severe sanctions up to and including revocation of the dentist's license.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § XXXIII-710

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Board of Dentistry, LR 24:1292 (July 1998), amended LR 25:1476 (August 1999), LR 26:1613 (August 2000), repromulgated LR 27:1894 (November 2001), amended LR 27:1892 (November 2001), LR 28:1779 (August 2002), LR 30:2306 (October 2004), LR 33:847 (May 2007), Amended LR 4258 (1/1/2016), Amended LR 4965 (1/1/2023).

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