1980’s

1980  First dental hygienist placed on Wisconsin Dental Examining Board (WDEB)

1981  RDH appointed as first full voting member of the WDEB

1986  Legislative efforts for dental hygienists to work  under “General Supervision”

1988  SB292 signed by then Governor Thompson, allowing hygienists to work when a dentist is not present, if the dentist prescribes treatment in writing, if the patient consents, and if the patient has been a patient of record for 12 months

1990’s

1990  SB447 signed, amended version, which further clarified and defined the Dental Practice Act and included the “Scope of Practice” for dental hygiene

  

1995 WDHA lobbies successfully against the open delegation of dental hygiene services to unlicensed/unqualified individuals

1996  DH Scope of Practice is put into statutes (no rules)
WDHA begins lobbying for the right for hygienists to administer local anesthetic

1998  2 more hygienists are added to the WDEB, 3 now full voting members for the first time

1999  Local anesthetic administration was added to the DH Scope of Practice

2000’s

2000  Placement of locally delivered antimicrobials was added to the DH Scope

of Practice (Arestin, etc…)

2001 Dental hygienists can dispense prescribed medications in a dental setting  (antibiotic pre-med)

One WDHA member was appointed to serve on a legislative task force committee to study access to oral health care

2003  WDHA requested requirements for mandated continuing education for DH license renewal 

1. •WDHA requested DH to be employable in community settings with fewer restrictions and under less supervision
   

2. •WDHA requested the DH be granted Medical Assistance (MA) provider status
   

2004  AB225 signed into law, dental hygienists need mandated continuing education for license renewal

2006  Wisconsin dental hygienists are able to directly bill MA for preventive services provided

 

2007  CPR Automated External Defibrillator component of certification required

Why am I telling you this? 

In the Fall of 2008 members of the WI Dental Examining Board (WDEB) decided it was time to review not only the definition of dentistry but the definition dental hygiene as well.

Purpose

To align the Practice Act as closely to our school accreditation standards as possible. 

The standards are from the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).  

Graduates must be competent in providing the dental hygiene process of care which includes: 

a) Comprehensive collection of patient data to identify the physical and oral health status; 

b) Analysis of assessment findings and use of critical thinking in order to address the patient’s dental hygiene treatment needs; 

c) Establishment of realistic goals and treatment strategies to facilitate optimal oral health; 

 

d) Provision of patient-centered treatment and evidence-based care in a manner minimizing risks and optimizing oral health; 

e) Measurement of the extent to which goals identified in the dental hygiene treatment plan needs are achieved; 

f) Complete and accurate recording of collected data; treatment planned,accomplished and to be provided; recommendations, and other information relevant to patient care and treatment. 

March 2009

WDHA joined forces with our allies to prepare testimony on how we would like to see the definition of dental hygiene changed.

Testimony 

The document submitted to the WDEB was the product of work from the

Governor’s Task Force focusing on the Access to Care problem in our state.