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REFERENCE TITLE: oral preventive assistants; qualifications |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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HB 2326 |
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Introduced by Representative Hendrix: Senator Petersen
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AN ACT
Amending section 32-1291.02, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the state board of dental examiners.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 32-1291.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
32-1291.02. Oral preventive assistants; qualifications; scope of practice; supervision; definition
A. In order to practice as an oral preventive assistant, a dental assistant shall complete a board-approved state board of dental examiners-approved oral preventive assistant training course that includes at least one hundred twenty thirty hours of didactic and clinical instruction with patients and ninety hours of didactic instruction that is provided by a qualifying institution. Before taking an oral preventive assistant training course, a dental assistant must meet all of the following:
1. Hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
2. Hold a board-approved state board of dental examiners-approved certification for both coronal polishing and radiography.
3. Either any of the following:
(a) Hold a current national board certification in dental assisting.
(b) Have successfully completed a dental assisting educational program accredited by a state or national organization that accredits dental programs.
(c) Have successfully completed a dental assisting educational program offered by a licensed private postsecondary educational institute in this state.
B. The scope of practice for an oral preventive assistant is limited to removing plaque, calculus and stains, with scalers or sonic or ultrasonic scaling devices, on patients who have first received a periodontal evaluation by a dentist or dental hygienist. An oral preventive assistant may practice only on periodontally healthy patients or patients with localized mild gingivitis. An oral preventive assistant may not use any air polishing technology or device or practice on patients who have been treated for periodontal disease, have generalized recession, are medically compromised or are under sedation.
C. An oral preventive assistant who provides coronal calculus removal services pursuant to this section shall both:
1. Inform each patient and document in the patient's clinical record that the patient's care was not provided by a licensed dental provider.
2. Prominently post the oral preventive assistant's certificate of completion of an approved course of instruction at the location where the coronal calculus removal services are performed.
D. An oral preventive assistant may practice in this state only under the direct supervision of a dentist or dental hygienist. A dentist may supervise not more than three oral preventive assistants at the same time. A dental hygienist may supervise not more than one oral preventive assistant at any time. A dentist or dental hygienist who allows an oral preventive assistant to perform coronal calculus removal services in violation of this section commits an act of unprofessional conduct.
E. For the purposes of this section, "qualifying institution" means either of the following:
1. An institution of higher education, including a community college, that provides a dental or dental hygiene program that is accredited by the commission on dental accreditation, or its successor.
2. An institution that is licensed by the state board of postsecondary education, that has been in operation for at least five years and that offers a dental assisting program that includes live patient clinical training under the supervision of a licensed dentist.