N.M. Stat. § 61-5A-4 — NM Code / Chapter 61 / Article 5A / Section 61-5A-4
§ 61-5A-4. Scope of practice
Status: in_force

A. As used in the Dental Health Care Act, “ practice of dentistry ” means:

(1) the diagnosis, treatment, correction, change, relief, prevention, prescription of remedy, surgical operation and adjunctive treatment for any disease, pain, deformity, deficiency, injury, defect, lesion or physical condition involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the teeth, gingivae, jaws and adjacent hard and soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial regions, including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, brace, anesthetic or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique by an individual or the individual's agent or employee gratuitously or for any fee, reward, emolument or any other form of compensation whether direct or indirect;

(2) representation of an ability or willingness to do any act mentioned in Paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(3) the review of dental insurance claims for therapeutic appropriateness of treatment, including but not limited to the interpretation of radiographs, photographs, models, periodontal records and narratives;

(4) the offering of advice or authoritative comment regarding the appropriateness of dental therapies, the need for recommended treatment or the efficacy of specific treatment modalities for other than the purpose of consultation to another dentist; or

(5) with specific reference to the teeth, gingivae, jaws or adjacent hard or soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region in living persons, to propose, agree or attempt to do or make an examination or give an estimate of cost with intent to, or undertaking to:

(a) perform a physical evaluation of a patient in an office or in a hospital, clinic or other medical or dental facility prior to, incident to and appropriate to the performance of any dental services or oral or maxillofacial surgery;

(b) perform surgery, an extraction or any other operation or to administer an anesthetic in connection therewith;

(c) diagnose or treat a condition, disease, pain, deformity, deficiency, injury, lesion or other physical condition;

(d) correct a malposition;

(e) treat a fracture;

(f) remove calcareous deposits;

(g) replace missing anatomy with an artificial substitute;

(h) construct, make, furnish, supply, reproduce, alter or repair an artificial substitute or restorative or corrective appliance or place an artificial substitute or restorative or corrective appliance in the mouth or attempt to adjust it;

(i) give interpretations or readings of dental radiographs;

(j) provide limited diagnostic and treatment planning via teledentistry; or

(k) do any other remedial, corrective or restorative work.

B. As used in the Dental Health Care Act, “the practice of dental hygiene ” means the application of the science of the prevention and treatment of oral disease through the provision of educational, assessment, preventive, clinical and other therapeutic services under the general supervision of a dentist. A dental hygienist in a collaborative practice may perform the procedures listed in this section without general supervision while the hygienist is in a cooperative working relationship with a consulting dentist, pursuant to rules promulgated by the board and the committee. “The practice of dental hygiene ” includes:

(1) prophylaxis, which is the removal of plaque, calculus and stains from the tooth structures as a means to control local irritational factors;

(2) removing diseased crevicular tissue and related nonsurgical periodontal procedures;

(3) except in cases where a tooth exhibits cavitation of the enamel surface, assessing without a dentist's evaluation whether the application of pit and fissure sealants is indicated;

(4) except in cases where a tooth exhibits cavitation of the enamel surface, applying pit and fissure sealants without mechanical alteration of the tooth;

(5) applying fluorides and other topical therapeutic and preventive agents;

(6) exposing and assessing oral radiographs for abnormalities;

(7) screening to identify indications of oral abnormalities;

(8) performing dental hygiene-focused assessments;

(9) assessing periodontal conditions; and

(10) such other closely related services as permitted by the rules of the committee and the board.

C. In addition to performing dental hygiene as defined in Subsection B of this section, a dental hygienist may apply preventive topical fluorides and remineralization agents without supervision in public and community medical facilities, schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities and such other settings as the committee may determine by rule ratified by the board, so long as the dental hygienist's license is not restricted pursuant to the Impaired Dentists and Dental Hygienists Act.

D. In addition to performing dental hygiene as defined in Subsection B of this section, dental hygienists who have met the criteria as the committee shall establish and the board shall ratify may administer local anesthesia under indirect supervision of a dentist.

E. The board may certify a dental hygienist to administer local anesthetic under the general supervision of a dentist if the dental hygienist, in addition to performing dental hygiene as defined in Subsection B of this section:

(1) has administered local anesthesia under the indirect supervision of a dentist for at least two years, during which time the dental hygienist has competently administered at least twenty cases of local anesthesia and can document this with a signed affirmation by the supervising dentist;

(2) administers local anesthetic under the written prescription or order of a dentist; and

(3) emergency medical services are available in accordance with rules promulgated by the board.

F. A dental hygienist:

(1) may prescribe, administer and dispense a fluoride supplement, topically applied fluoride or topically applied antimicrobial only when the prescribing, administering or dispensing is performed:

(a) under the supervision of a dentist;

(b) pursuant to rules the board and the committee have adopted;

(c) within the parameters of a drug formulary approved by the board in consultation with the board of pharmacy;

(d) within the parameters of guidelines established pursuant to Section 61-5A-10 NMSA 1978; and

(e) in compliance with state laws concerning prescription packaging, labeling and recordkeeping requirements; and

(2) shall not otherwise dispense dangerous drugs or controlled substances.

G. A New Mexico licensed dental hygienist may be certified for collaborative dental hygiene practice in accordance with the educational and experience criteria established collaboratively by the committee and the board.

H. An expanded-function dental auxiliary may perform the following procedures under the direct supervision of a dentist:

(1) placing and shaping direct restorations;

(2) taking final impressions, excluding those for fixed or removable prosthetics involving multiple teeth;

(3) cementing indirect and provisional restorations for temporary use;

(4) applying pit and fissure sealants without mechanical alteration of the tooth;

(5) placing temporary and sedative restorative material in hand-excavated carious lesions and unprepared tooth fractures;

(6) removal of orthodontic bracket cement; and

(7) fitting and shaping of stainless steel crowns to be cemented by a dentist.

I. An expanded-function dental auxiliary may re-cement temporary or permanent crowns with temporary cement under the general supervision of a dentist in a situation that a dentist deems to be an emergency.

J. An expanded-function dental auxiliary may perform other related functions for which the expanded-function dental auxiliary meets the training and educational standards established by the board and that are not expressly prohibited by the board.

K. For the purpose of this section, “ collaborative dental hygiene practice ” means the application of the science of the prevention and treatment of oral disease through the provision of educational, assessment, preventive, clinical and other therapeutic services as specified in Subsection B of this section in a cooperative working relationship with a consulting dentist, but without general supervision as set forth by the rules established and approved by both the board and the committee.