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The
Georgia Board of Dentistry is holding a public forum to provide an opportunity
for those interested in hearing about a pilot program at the Medical College of
Georgia. The pilot program, as part of the new Masters in Dental Hygiene
degree, would provide training to Registered Dental Hygienists enabling them to
administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide for pain management.
This Public Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss this program with
members of the Board’s Dental Hygiene Committee and Faculty from the Medical
College of Georgia.
The forum will be held:
When:
Where: Office of the Georgia Board of Dentistry
237 Coliseum Drive
(Directions available at mapquest.com)
Please let us know if you plan to attend by e-mailing your name and a statement
of intent to attend not later than
If you are unable to attend and would like to provide input to the committee
members, please provide a brief written statement to the board at aomartin@sos.ga.gov. To assist in managing the
responses, please use “Input for DH Forum” on the subject line of your e-mail
to the Board.
Subject: FAQ Pain Management for Registered Dental
Hygienists
Tier 1:
Independent Study (Textbooks): Prior to taking the Pain Management
Course, it is strongly recommended that all candidates prepare for the content
using course-approved textbooks.
Tier 2: On campus
Pre-Test. Must score 80% or better to proceed to Tier 3.
Tier 3: On campus Pain Management continuing
education course.
Tier 4: Advanced
Certification and Continuing Education will be award to candidates who meet the
established competency levels. Candidates who do NOT meet the established
competency levels (80% in didactic and clinical assessment) will ONLY receive
continuing education credit and will NOT receive advanced certification.
Tier 5: Following
review of the pilot program, the Georgia Board of Dentistry may consider
approving licensed dentists to “sign off” on a specified number of
supervised clinical experiences via an anesthetic log for dental hygienists who
have successfully completed the pain management didactic and clinical
assessment portions of the course prior to final certification.
Q: What is the
purpose of the Medical College of Georgia pilot program?
A: The purpose of
the pilot program is to implement pain management skills for Registered Dental
Hygienists in GA that are comparable to those permitted in 44 states in the
Q: Is the Pain Management Course a form of
advanced dental hygiene practice models that is being posed by some
organizations?
A: No, the only
goal of this program is to prepare Georgia Registered Dental Hygienists with
the skills to be able to utilize pain management with skill and efficiency
under the direct authorization and supervision of a
Q: Will dental
hygienists who have already been certified or licensed to deliver local
anesthesia be able to apply that knowledge in GA?
A: At this time,
only a pilot program is being implemented for purposes of further study. Rules
may be established by the Georgia Board of Dentistry to incorporate this
advanced certification into the dental hygiene scope of practice. Also, the Georgia
Board of Dentistry Licensure Overview Committee may decide to verify and
validate credentials applicants for certification.
Q: How can dentists
be assured that the appropriate number of clinical experiences will be required
in the pain management course for dental hygienists?
A: If
approved by the Georgia Board of Dentistry, criteria for competency levels for
the didactic/textbook and clinical/patient care would be implemented.
Candidates who do not meet these criteria would NOT receive certification and
would ONLY receive Continuing Education credits for their attendance.
Q: How can
the public be assured that adequate competency has been attained through
practical experience before “certifying” the dental hygienist in pain management?
A: The
Georgia Board of Dentistry may consider approving licensed dentists to “sign
off” on a specified number of supervised clinical experiences via an anesthetic
log for dental hygienists who have successfully completed the pain management
didactic and clinical assessment portions of the course.
Q: Will a
Registered Dental Hygienist who has been out of the academic environment for
several years be able to successfully complete this
course?
A: To accommodate
all learning levels, candidates must engage in independent study to prepare
them for the campus portion of the Pain Management Course. A pre-assessment
will be administered to ALL candidates before they are allowed to advance to
the campus portion of the Pain Management Course.
Q: What are
the advantages to the public for training and approving the administration of
local anesthesia for Georgia-licensed dental hygienists?
A: Pain management control for hygiene procedures provided under the direct supervision of Georgia-licensed dentists and an assurance that the administration of the local anesthesia provided by the dental hygienist has met the necessary training standards, clinical experiences and assessments to protect the health and welfare of the public.