Virginia Administrative Code › Title 18 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING › Agency 60 - BOARD OF DENTISTRY › Chapter 21 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY › Part I - General Provisions › Section 18VAC60-21-10 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. The following
				  words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the meanings ascribed to
				  them in § 54.1-2700 of the Code of Virginia:
"Board"
"Dental hygiene"
"Dental hygienist"
"Dentist"
"Dentistry"
"License"
"Maxillofacial"
"Oral and maxillofacial surgeon"
B. The following words and terms when used in
				  this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly
				  indicates otherwise:
"AAOMS" means the American Association of Oral and
					 Maxillofacial Surgeons.
"ADA" means the American Dental Association.
"Advertising" means a representation or other notice given
					 to the public or members thereof, directly or indirectly, by a dentist on
					 behalf of himself, his facility, his partner or associate, or any dentist
					 affiliated with the dentist or his facility by any means or method for the
					 purpose of inducing purchase, sale, or use of dental methods, services,
					 treatments, operations, procedures, or products, or to promote continued or
					 increased use of such dental methods, treatments, operations, procedures, or
					 products.
"CODA" means the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the
					 American Dental Association.
"Code" means the Code of Virginia.
"Dental assistant I" means any unlicensed person under the
					 direction of a dentist or a dental hygienist who renders assistance for
					 services provided to the patient as authorized under this chapter but shall not
					 include an individual serving in purely an administrative, secretarial, or
					 clerical capacity.
"Dental assistant II" means a person under the direction
					 and direct supervision of a dentist who is registered by the board to perform
					 reversible, intraoral procedures as specified in 18VAC60-21-150 and
					 18VAC60-21-160.
"Mobile dental facility" means a self-contained unit in
					 which dentistry is practiced that is not confined to a single building and can
					 be transported from one location to another.
"Nonsurgical laser" means a laser that is not capable of
					 cutting or removing hard tissue, soft tissue, or tooth structure.
"Portable dental operation" means a nonfacility in which
					 dental equipment used in the practice of dentistry is transported to and
					 utilized on a temporary basis at an out-of-office location, including patients'
					 homes, schools, nursing homes, or other institutions. "Radiographs" means
					 intraoral and extraoral radiographic images of hard and soft tissues used for
					 purposes of diagnosis.
C.
				  The following words and terms relating to supervision as used in this chapter
				  shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise:
"Direct supervision" means that the dentist examines the
					 patient and records diagnostic findings prior to delegating restorative or
					 prosthetic treatment and related services to a dental assistant II for
					 completion the same day or at a later date. The dentist prepares the tooth or
					 teeth to be restored and remains immediately available in the office to the
					 dental assistant II for guidance or assistance during the delivery of treatment
					 and related services. The dentist examines the patient to evaluate the
					 treatment and services before the patient is dismissed.
"Direction" means the level of supervision (i.e.,
					 immediate, direct, indirect, or general) that a dentist is required to exercise
					 with a dental hygienist, a dental assistant I, or a dental assistant II, or a
					 certified registered nurse anesthetist or the level of supervision that a
					 dental hygienist is required to exercise with a dental assistant to direct and
					 oversee the delivery of treatment and related services.
"General supervision" means that a dentist completes a
					 periodic comprehensive examination of the patient and issues a written order
					 for hygiene treatment that states the specific services to be provided by a
					 dental hygienist during one or more subsequent appointments when the dentist
					 may or may not be present. Issuance of the order authorizes the dental
					 hygienist to supervise a dental assistant performing duties delegable to dental
					 assistants I.
"Immediate supervision" means the dentist is in the
					 operatory to supervise the administration of sedation or provision of
					 treatment.
"Indirect supervision" means the dentist examines the
					 patient at some point during the appointment and is continuously present in the
					 office to advise and assist a dental hygienist or, a dental assistant, or a
					 certified registered nurse anesthetist who is
(i) delivering hygiene treatment,
(ii) preparing the patient for examination or
				  treatment by the dentist, or
(iii)
				  preparing the patient for dismissal following treatment, or
(iv) administering topical local anesthetic,
				  sedation, or anesthesia as authorized by law or regulation.
"Remote supervision" means that a supervising dentist is
					 accessible and available for communication and consultation with a dental
					 hygienist during the delivery of dental hygiene services but such dentist may
					 not have conducted an initial examination of the patients who are to be seen
					 and treated by the dental hygienist and may not be present with the dental
					 hygienist when dental hygiene services are being provided. For the purpose of
					 practice by a public health dental hygienist, "remote supervision" means that a
					 public health dentist has regular, periodic communications with a public health
					 dental hygienist regarding patient treatment, but such dentist may not have
					 conducted an initial examination of the patients who are to be seen and treated
					 by the dental hygienist and may not be present with the dental hygienist when
					 dental hygiene services are being provided.