2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 32: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS › Chapter 143: DENTAL PROFESSIONS › Subchapter 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS › 32 §18302. Definitions

§18302. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.   [PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
1.  Board.
"Board" means the Board of Dental Practice established in Title 5, section 12004‑A, subsection 10.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
2.  Charitable dentist license.
[PL 2017, c. 388, §1 (RP).]
3.  Clinical dentist educator license.
[PL 2017, c. 388, §1 (RP).]
4.  Commissioner.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
5.  Dental auxiliary.
"Dental auxiliary" means a dental radiographer, expanded function dental assistant, dental hygienist, independent practice dental hygienist, public health dental hygienist, dental therapist or denturist.
[PL 2019, c. 388, §5 (AMD).]
6.  Dental hygiene.
"Dental hygiene" means the delivery of preventative, educational and clinical services supporting total health for the control of oral disease and the promotion of oral health provided by a dental hygienist in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
6-A.  Dental hygiene diagnosis.
"Dental hygiene diagnosis" means the identification of an existing oral health problem that a dental hygienist is qualified and licensed to treat.
[PL 2023, c. 354, §1 (NEW).]
7.  Dental therapist.
"Dental therapist" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and is authorized to practice dental therapy under this chapter.
[PL 2019, c. 388, §5 (AMD).]
8.  Dental therapy.
"Dental therapy" means the delivery of dental hygiene services, including performance of certain dental procedures in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2019, c. 388, §5 (AMD).]
9.  Dental hygienist.
"Dental hygienist" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
10.  Dental radiographer.
"Dental radiographer" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental radiographer issued by the board.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
11.  Dental radiography.
"Dental radiography" means the use of ionizing radiation on the maxilla, mandible and adjacent structures of human beings for diagnostic purposes while under the general supervision of a dentist or an independent practice dental hygienist in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2017, c. 388, §2 (AMD).]
12.  Dentist.
"Dentist" means a person who holds a valid dentist license issued by the board.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
13.  Dentistry.
"Dentistry" means the scope of practice for a dentist as described in section 18371.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
14.  Denture.
"Denture" means any removable full or partial upper or lower prosthetic dental appliance to be worn in the human mouth to replace any missing natural teeth.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
15.  Denturism.
"Denturism" means the process of obtaining denture impressions and bite registrations for the purpose of making, producing, reproducing, constructing, finishing, supplying, altering or repairing a denture to be fitted to an edentulous or partially edentulous arch or arches and the fitting of a denture to an edentulous or partially edentulous arch or arches, including the making, producing, reproducing, constructing, finishing, supplying, altering and repairing of dentures, without performing alteration to natural or reconstructed tooth structure, in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2017, c. 388, §3 (AMD).]
16.  Denturist.
"Denturist" means a person who holds a valid denturist license issued by the board.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
17.  Department.
"Department" means the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
18.  Direct supervision.
"Direct supervision" means the supervision required of those tasks and procedures requiring the physical presence of the supervisor in the practice setting at the time such tasks or procedures are being performed. In order to provide direct supervision of patient treatment, the supervisor must at least identify or diagnose the condition to be treated and authorize the treatment procedure prior to implementation.
[PL 2021, c. 223, §1 (AMD).]
18-A.  Director.
"Director" means the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.
[PL 2023, c. 17, Pt. P, §5 (NEW).]
19.  Expanded function dental assistant.
"Expanded function dental assistant" means a person who holds a valid expanded function dental assistant license issued by the board.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
20.  Expanded function dental assisting.
"Expanded function dental assisting" means performing certain dental procedures under the supervision of a dentist in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
21.  Faculty.
"Faculty" means, when used in conjunction with a license issued under this chapter, the authority granted to an individual who is authorized to practice only within the school setting, including any satellite locations approved by the board, and who teaches dentistry, dental hygiene or denturism as part of a clinical and didactic program.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
22.  General supervision.
"General supervision" means the supervision of those tasks and procedures that do not require the physical presence of the supervisor in the practice setting while procedures are being performed but do require the tasks and procedures to be performed with the prior knowledge and consent of the supervisor.
[PL 2021, c. 223, §2 (AMD).]
23.  Independent practice dental hygienist.
"Independent practice dental hygienist" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and who is authorized to practice independent dental hygiene.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
24.  License.
[PL 2023, c. 17, Pt. P, §6 (RP).]
25.  Limited dentist.
"Limited dentist" means a dentist who has retired from the regular practice of dentistry and who holds a valid license issued by the board to practice only in a nonprofit clinic without compensation for work performed at the clinic. Services provided by a limited dentist must be in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
26.  Local anesthesia.
"Local anesthesia" means a drug, element or other material that results in a state of insensibility of a circumscribed area or the loss of sensation in some definite, localized area without inhibition of conscious processes.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
27.  Nitrous oxide analgesia.
"Nitrous oxide analgesia" means a gas containing nitrous oxide used to induce a controlled state of relative analgesia with the goal of controlling anxiety.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
28.  Practice setting.
"Practice setting" means the physical location where services authorized under this chapter are provided to the public.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
29.  Provisional dental therapist.
"Provisional dental therapist" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and who is authorized to practice dental therapy under the supervision of a dentist in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2019, c. 388, §6 (AMD).]
30.  Public health dental hygiene.
"Public health dental hygiene" means the delivery of certain dental hygiene services under a written supervision agreement with a dentist for the purpose of providing services in a public health setting in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
31.  Public health dental hygienist.
"Public health dental hygienist" means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and who is authorized to practice public health dental hygiene in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
32.  Public health setting.
"Public health setting" means a place where the practice of public health dental hygiene occurs, and includes, but is not limited to, public and private schools, medical facilities, nursing homes, residential care facilities, mobile units, nonprofit organizations and community health centers.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
33.  Resident dentist license.
"Resident dentist license" means the authority granted to an individual who is a graduate of an approved dental school or college, who is not licensed to practice dentistry in this State and is authorized to practice under the direct or general supervision and direction of a dentist in a board-approved setting in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW).]
34.  Reversible intraoral procedures.
[PL 2017, c. 388, §4 (RP).]
35.  Supervision.
"Supervision" means either direct supervision or general supervision as determined by the tasks and procedures that are being performed in accordance with this chapter.
[PL 2021, c. 223, §3 (NEW).]
36.  Supervisor.
"Supervisor" means an individual licensed by the board and authorized to provide supervision under this chapter.
[PL 2021, c. 223, §4 (NEW).]
37.  Teledentistry.
"Teledentistry," as it pertains to the delivery of oral health care services, means the use of interactive, real-time visual, audio or other electronic media for the purposes of education, assessment, examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, consultation and directing the delivery of treatment by individuals licensed under this chapter and includes synchronous encounters, asynchronous encounters, remote patient monitoring and mobile oral health care in accordance with practice guidelines specified in rules adopted by the board.
[PL 2021, c. 223, §5 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2015, c. 429, §21 (NEW). PL 2017, c. 388, §§1-4 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 388, §§5, 6 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 223, §§1-5 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 17, Pt. P, §§5, 6 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 354, §1 (AMD).