Sec. 20-126h. License. No person shall engage in the practice of dental hygiene
unless he has obtained a dental or dental hygiene license issued by the Department of
Public Health.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 1; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126i. Application for license. Application from foreign dental school
graduate. (a) Each application for a license to practice dental hygiene shall be in writing
and signed by the applicant and accompanied by satisfactory proof that such person has
received a diploma or certificate of graduation from a dental hygiene program with a
minimum of two academic years of curriculum provided in a college or institution of
higher education the program of which is accredited by the Commission on Dental
Accreditation or such other national professional accrediting body as may be recognized
by the United States Department of Education, and a fee of one hundred fifty dollars.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, each application
for a license to practice dental hygiene from an applicant who holds a diploma from a
foreign dental school shall be in writing and signed by the applicant and accompanied
by satisfactory proof that such person has (1) graduated from a dental school located
outside the United States and received the degree of doctor of dental medicine or surgery,
or its equivalent; (2) passed the written and practical examinations required in section
20-126j; and (3) enrolled in a dental hygiene program in this state that is accredited by
the Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor organization and successfully
completed not less than one year of clinical training in a community health center affiliated with and under the supervision of such dental hygiene program.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 2; P.A. 05-213, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 203.)
History: P.A. 05-213 designated existing language as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) specifying requirements for
graduates of foreign dental schools seeking licensure as a dental hygienist; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a)
to increase fee from $75 to $150.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126j. Examination of applicants. Except as provided in section 20-126k,
each applicant for a license to practice dental hygiene shall be examined through written
and practical examinations by the Department of Public Health, as to his professional
knowledge and skill before such license is granted. All examinations shall be given at
least once per year and at other times prescribed by the department. Such examination
shall be conducted in the English language. The Commissioner of Public Health may
accept and approve, in lieu of the written examination required in this section, the results
of a written examination given by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or comparable national examinations subject to such conditions as said commissioner may prescribe; and said commissioner may accept and approve, in lieu of the
practical examination required in this section, the results of practical examinations given
by regional testing agencies subject to such conditions as the Department of Public
Health may prescribe. Passing scores shall be prescribed by the Department of Public
Health. Said department shall grant licenses to such applicants as are qualified.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 3; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126k. Licensure without examination. The Department of Public Health
may, without examination, issue a license to any dental hygienist who has provided
evidence of professional education not less than that required in this state and who is
licensed in some other state or territory, if such other state or territory has requirements
of admission determined by the department to be similar to or higher than the requirements of this state, upon certification from the board of examiners or like board of
the state or territory in which such dental hygienist was a practitioner certifying to his
competency and upon payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars to said department.
No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional
disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 4; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 204.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee from $75 to $150.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126l. Definitions. Scope of practice. Limitations. Continuing education. (a) As used in this section:
(1) "General supervision of a licensed dentist" means supervision that authorizes
dental hygiene procedures to be performed with the knowledge of said licensed dentist,
whether or not the dentist is on the premises when such procedures are being performed;
(2) "Public health facility" means an institution, as defined in section 19a-490, a
community health center, a group home, a school, a preschool operated by a local or
regional board of education or a head start program or a program offered or sponsored by
the federal Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children; and
(3) The "practice of dental hygiene" means the performance of educational, preventive and therapeutic services including: Complete prophylaxis; the removal of calcerous
deposits, accretions and stains from the supragingival and subgingival surfaces of the
teeth by scaling, root planing and polishing; the application of pit and fissure sealants
and topical solutions to exposed portions of the teeth; dental hygiene examinations
and the charting of oral conditions; dental hygiene assessment, treatment planning and
evaluation; the administration of local anesthesia in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (d) of this section; and collaboration in the implementation of the oral health
care regimen.
(b) No person shall engage in the practice of dental hygiene unless such person
(1) has a dental hygiene license issued by the Department of Public Health and (A) is
practicing under the general supervision of a licensed dentist, or (B) has been practicing
as a licensed dental hygienist for at least two years, is practicing in a public health facility
and complies with the requirements of subsection (e) of this section, or (2) has a dental
license.
(c) A dental hygienist licensed under sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, shall
be known as a "dental hygienist" and no other person shall assume such title or use the
abbreviation "R.D.H." or any other words, letters or figures which indicate that the
person using such words, letters or figures is a licensed dental hygienist. Any person
who employs or permits any other person except a licensed dental hygienist to practice
dental hygiene shall be subject to the penalties provided in section 20-126t.
(d) A licensed dental hygienist may administer local anesthesia, limited to infiltration and mandibular blocks, under the indirect supervision of a licensed dentist, provided
the dental hygienist can demonstrate successful completion of a course of instruction
containing basic and current concepts of local anesthesia and pain control in a program
accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, or its successor organization,
that includes: (1) Twenty hours of didactic training, including, but not limited to, the
psychology of pain management; a review of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology of
anesthetic agents, emergency precautions and management, and client management;
instruction on the safe and effective administration of anesthetic agents; and (2) eight
hours of clinical training which includes the direct observation of the performance of
procedures. For purposes of this subsection, "indirect supervision" means a licensed
dentist authorizes and prescribes the use of local anesthesia for a patient and remains
in the dental office or other location where the services are being performed by the
dental hygienist.
(e) A licensed dental hygienist shall not perform the following dental services: (1)
Diagnosis for dental procedures or dental treatment; (2) the cutting or removal of any
hard or soft tissue or suturing; (3) the prescribing of drugs or medication which require
the written or oral order of a licensed dentist or physician; (4) the administration of
parenteral, inhalation or general anesthetic agents in connection with any dental operative procedure; (5) the taking of any impression of the teeth or jaws or the relationship
of the teeth or jaws for the purpose of fabricating any appliance or prosthesis; (6) the
placing, finishing and adjustment of temporary or final restorations, capping materials
and cement bases.
(f) Each dental hygienist practicing in a public health facility shall (1) refer for
treatment any patient with needs outside the dental hygienist's scope of practice, and
(2) coordinate such referral for treatment to dentists licensed pursuant to chapter 379.
(g) All licensed dental hygienists applying for license renewal shall be required to
participate in continuing education programs. The commissioner shall adopt regulations
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to: (1) Define basic requirements for
continuing education programs, (2) delineate qualifying programs, (3) establish a system
of control and reporting, and (4) provide for waiver of the continuing education requirement by the commissioner for good cause.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 5; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 99-197, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 21, 69; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 05-213, S. 7; P.A. 09-232, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-197 added Subsec. (a)(2) defining public health
facility, designated former Subsec. (b) as Subdiv. (a)(3), deleting reference to general supervision of a licensed dentist,
designated a portion of former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (b), dividing it into subdivisions and subparagraphs and adding
Subparas. (A) and (B) re practice requirements and Subdiv. (2) re dental license, added new Subsec. (e) re dental hygienists
practicing in a public health facility and designated former Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended
definition of public health facility in Subsec. (a)(2) to include a preschool operated by a local or regional board of education
or a head start program, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 05-213 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by redefining "practice of dental hygiene" to
include administration of local anesthesia in accordance with Subsec. (d), amended Subsec. (c) by removing language
restricting where dental hygienists may practice, added new Subsec. (d) specifying kinds of local anesthesia licensed dental
hygienists may administer under the indirect supervision of licensed dentists and training necessary before hygienist may
administer such local anesthesia, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (f), inclusive, as Subsecs. (e) to (g), inclusive, and
made technical and conforming changes in redesignated Subsec. (e); P.A. 09-232 redefined "public health facility" in
Subsec. (a)(2), effective July 1, 2009.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126m. Display of license. The license for the current year shall be displayed conspicuously in the office, place of business or place of employment of each
licensee. Each licensed dental hygienist shall forthwith notify the department of any
change of address or employment subsequent to his licensure.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 6.)
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126n. License renewal. Licenses issued under sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, shall be renewed annually in accordance with the provisions of section
19a-88.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 7.)
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126o. Disciplinary action by the department. (a) The Department of
Public Health may take any of the actions set forth in section 19a-17 for any of the
following causes: (1) The presentation to the department of any diploma, license or
certificate illegally or fraudulently obtained, or obtained from an institution that is not
accredited or from an unrecognized or irregular institution or state board, or obtained
by the practice of any fraud or deception; (2) illegal conduct; (3) negligent, incompetent
or wrongful conduct in professional activities; (4) conviction of the violation of any
of the provisions of sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, by any court of criminal
jurisdiction; (5) the violation of any of the provisions of said sections or of the regulations
adopted hereunder or the refusal to comply with any of said provisions or regulations;
(6) the aiding or abetting in the practice of dental hygiene of a person not licensed to
practice dental hygiene in this state; (7) engaging in fraud or material deception in the
course of professional activities; (8) the effects of physical or mental illness, emotional
disorder or loss of motor skill, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the
aging process, upon the license holder; (9) abuse or excessive use of drugs, including
alcohol, narcotics or chemicals; or (10) failure to provide information to the Department
of Public Health required to complete a health care provider profile, as set forth in section
20-13j. A violation of any of the provisions of sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive,
by any unlicensed employee in the practice of dental hygiene, with the knowledge of
his employer, shall be deemed a violation thereof by his employer. The Commissioner
of Public Health may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental
examination if his physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an
investigation. Said commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district
of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to said section 19a-17.
(b) For purposes of subdivision (7) of subsection (a) of this section, fraud or material
deception shall include, but not be limited to, the following practices: (1) Submission
of a claim form to a third party intentionally reporting incorrect treatment dates for the
purpose of assisting a patient in obtaining benefits under a dental plan, which benefits
would otherwise be disallowed; (2) increasing a fee to a patient for a service in excess
of the fee charged solely because the patient has dental insurance; (3) intentionally
describing a dental hygiene procedure incorrectly on a third-party claim form in order
to receive a greater payment or reimbursement or intentionally misrepresenting a dental
hygiene procedure not otherwise eligible for payment or reimbursement on such claim
form for the purpose of receiving payment or reimbursement; and (4) intentionally accepting payment from a third party as payment in full for patient services rendered when
(A) the patient has been excused from payment of any applicable deductible by the
license holder and (B) such license holder fails to notify the third party of such action.
(P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 94-149, S. 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4-6; 95-257, S.
12, 21, 58; P.A. 08-109, S. 8.)
History: (Revisor's note: P.A. 88-230, P.A. 90-98 and P.A. 93-142 authorized substitution of "judicial district of Hartford" for "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" in public and special acts of the 1994 regular and special sessions,
effective September 1, 1996); P.A. 95-220 changed effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September
1, 1998; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner
and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 08-109 made a technical change and added failure to provide
information for health care provider profile to list of grounds for disciplinary action in Subsec. (a), effective January 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126p. Change of residence out of state. Any licensed dental hygienist
changing his residence or place of business to another state shall, upon application to
the Department of Public Health, receive a certificate which shall state that he is a
licensed dental hygienist and such certificate shall be given without payment of any fee.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 9; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126q. False representations. No person shall falsely claim to hold a certificate of registration, license, diploma or degree granted by a society, school or by the
Department of Public Health, or, with intent to deceive the public, pretend to be a graduate of any dental hygiene program or college, or append the letters "R.D.H." to his name,
without having the degree indicated by such letters conferred upon him by diploma from
a college, a school, a board of examiners, or other agency empowered to confer the
same.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 10; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126r. Appeal. Any licensee aggrieved by a final decision of the Department of Public Health in suspending or revoking any license under the provisions of
sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, may appeal therefrom as provided in section
4-183. Appeals brought under this section shall be privileged with respect to the order
of trial assignment.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 11; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-47, S. 7.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-47 changed reference to being aggrieved by "the
action" to "a final decision" of the Department of Public Health.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126s. Payment for dental hygiene care of patients in chronic and convalescent hospitals and convalescent homes. Payment for dental hygiene care rendered to patients in chronic and convalescent hospitals or convalescent homes shall be
made directly to the dental hygienist rendering such care. The Commissioner of Social
Services shall not be required to recognize the cost of employing or contracting with a
dental hygienist in the rates established for convalescent homes pursuant to section
17b-340.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 12.)
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126t. Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of sections 20-126h to 20-126w, inclusive, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both. Any person who continues to practice dental
hygiene or engage as a dental hygienist, after his license or authority to so do has been
suspended or revoked and while such disability continues, shall be fined not more than
five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both. For purposes of
this section each instance of patient contact or consultation which is in violation of any
provision of this section shall constitute a separate offense. Failure to renew a license
in a timely manner shall not constitute a violation for the purposes of this section.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 13.)
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126u. Regulations. The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of sections 20-126h
to 20-126w, inclusive.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 14; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126v. Transferred to Chapter 379, Sec. 20-126b.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126w. Construction of chapter. Nothing in sections 20-126h to 20-126u,
inclusive, shall be construed to (1) allow a dental hygienist to practice beyond the parameters of section 20-126l, or (2) prevent a licensed dentist from providing dental hygiene
services.
(P.A. 94-149, S. 24; P.A. 99-197, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 99-197 deleted "the general supervision of a licensed dentist, as defined in".
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 20-126x. Professional liability insurance required, when. Amount of insurance. Reporting requirements. (a) Each person licensed to practice dental hygiene
under the provisions of this chapter who provides direct patient care services shall maintain professional liability insurance or other indemnity against liability for professional
malpractice. The amount of insurance that each such person shall carry as insurance or
indemnity against claims for injury or death for professional malpractice shall not be
less than five hundred thousand dollars for one person, per occurrence, with an aggregate
of not less than one million five hundred thousand dollars.
(b) Each insurance company that issues professional liability insurance, as defined
in subdivisions (1), (6), (7), (8) and (9) of subsection (b) of section 38a-393, shall, on
and after January 1, 1997, render to the Commissioner of Public Health a true record
of the names, according to classification, of cancellations of and refusals to renew professional liability insurance policies and the reasons for such cancellations or refusal to
renew said policies for the year ending on the thirty-first day of December next preceding.
(P.A. 96-133, S. 4.)
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |