02-313 C.M.R. ch. 2, § VI - SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROVISIONAL DENTAL THERAPIST AUTHORITY

A. Verification of an active dental hygienist license in good standing under the Maine Dental Practice Act;

B. Verification of a master's degree in dental therapy from a program that is either CODA accredited or meets the curriculum requirements adopted by board rule;

C. (Not in use)

D. Submission of a current, written practice agreement in settings limited to those enumerated in 32 M.R.S. §18377(3) between the applicant and a supervising dentist that outlines the roles and responsibilities of the collaboration, and which must include:

(1) The services and procedures and the practice settings for those services and procedures that the dental therapist may provide, together with any limitations on those services and procedures;

(2) Any age-specific and procedure-specific practice protocols, including case selection criteria, assessment guidelines and imaging frequency;

(3) Procedures to be used with patients treated by the dental therapist for obtaining informed consent and for creating and maintaining dental records;

(4) A plan for review of patient records by the supervising dentist and the dental therapist;

(5) A plan for managing medical emergencies in each practice setting in which the dental therapist provides care;

(6) A quality assurance plan for monitoring care, including patient care review, referral follow-up and a quality assurance chart review;

(7) Protocols for administering and dispensing medications, including the specific circumstances under which medications may be administered and dispensed;

(8) Criteria for providing care to patients with specific medical conditions or complex medical histories, including requirements for consultation prior to initiating care; and

(9) Specific written protocols, including a plan for providing clinical resources and referrals, governing situations in which the patient requires treatment that exceeds the scope of practice or capabilities of the dental therapist.

E. Revisions to a written practice agreement must be documented in a new practice agreement and filed with the Board within 10 days of the change. Similarly, termination of a practice agreement must be documented and submitted to the Board within 10 days of the change; and

F. Verification of passing all sections of a clinical examination approved by the Board.

Notes

02-313 C.M.R. ch. 2, § VI