Bill > HB1991

This bill, amending Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 63, Chapter 5, expands the scope of practice for dental hygienists. Specifically, it allows dental hygienists, under varying levels of dentist supervision, to complete diagnostic radiographs, assess and record existing hard and soft tissue data, perform prophylaxis (cleaning), and apply fluoride agents before a dentist sees a new or existing patient. Furthermore, it grants dental hygienists prescriptive authority for certain non-controlled substances, including fluoride agents, topical oral anesthetic agents, silver diamine fluoride, curodont, sealants, and desiccation therapy, provided these do not require a federal drug enforcement agency license. The bill also mandates that the Board of Dentistry will establish rules for the educational and training requirements for dental hygienists to exercise this prescriptive authority, including a specific training course for applying silver diamine fluoride.