32-1276.04. Dental therapists; clinical practice; supervising dentists; written collaborative practice agreements

567 words·~3 min read·/az/title-32/32-1276-04

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

A. A dental therapist may practice only in the following practice settings or locations, including mobile dental units, that are operated or served by any of the following:

1. A federally qualified community health center.

2. A health center program that has received a federal look-alike designation.

3. A community health center.

4. A nonprofit dental practice or a nonprofit organization that provides dental care to low-income and underserved individuals.

5. A private dental practice that provides dental care for community health center patients of record who are referred by the community health center.

B. A dental therapist may practice in this state either under the direct supervision of a dentist or pursuant to a written collaborative practice agreement. Before a dental therapist may enter into a written collaborative practice agreement, the dental therapist shall complete one thousand hours of dental therapy clinical practice under the direct supervision of a dentist who is licensed in this state and shall provide documentation satisfactory to the board of having completed this requirement.

C. A practicing dentist who holds an active license pursuant to this chapter and a licensed dental therapist who holds an active license pursuant to this article may enter into a written collaborative practice agreement for the delivery of dental therapy services. The supervising dentist shall provide or arrange for another dentist or specialist to provide any service needed by the dental therapist's patient that exceeds the dental therapist's authorized scope of practice.

D. A dentist may not enter into more than four separate written collaborative practice agreements for the delivery of dental therapy services.

E. A written collaborative practice agreement between a dentist and a dental therapist shall do all of the following:

1. Address any limit on services and procedures to be performed by the dental therapist, including types of populations and any age-specific or procedure-specific practice protocol, including case selection criteria, assessment guidelines and imaging frequency.

2. Address any limit on practice settings established by the supervising dentist and the level of supervision required for various services or treatment settings.

3. Establish practice protocols, including protocols for informed consent, recordkeeping, managing medical emergencies and providing care to patients with complex medical conditions, including requirements for consultation before initiating care.

4. Establish protocols for quality assurance, administering and dispensing medications and supervising dental assistants.

5. Include specific protocols to govern situations in which the dental therapist encounters a patient requiring treatment that exceeds the dental therapist's authorized scope of practice or the limits imposed by the collaborative practice agreement.

6. Specify that the extraction of permanent teeth may be performed only under the direct supervision of a dentist and consistent with section 32-1276.03, subsection B, paragraph 14.

F. Except as provided in section 32-1276.03, subsection B, paragraph 14, to the extent authorized by the supervising dentist in the written collaborative practice agreement, a dental therapist may practice dental therapy procedures authorized under this article in a practice setting in which the supervising dentist is not on-site and has not previously examined the patient or rendered a diagnosis.

G. The written collaborative practice agreement must be signed and maintained by both the supervising dentist and the dental therapist and may be updated and amended as necessary by both the supervising dentist and dental therapist. The supervising dentist and dental therapist shall submit a copy of the agreement and any amendment to the agreement to the board.