(1) A dentist shall have the right to prescribe drugs or medicine, subject to limitations imposed by law; perform surgical operations within the scope of her or his practice and training; administer general or local anesthesia or sedation, subject to limitations imposed by law; and use such appliances as may be necessary to the proper practice of dentistry.
(2) Pharmacists licensed pursuant to chapter 465 may fill prescriptions of legally licensed dentists in this state for any drugs necessary for the practice of dentistry.
(3) The board shall adopt rules which:
(a) Define general anesthesia.
(b) Specify which methods of general or local anesthesia or sedation, if any, are limited or prohibited for use by dentists.
(c) Establish minimal training, education, experience, or certification for a dentist to use general anesthesia or sedation, which rules may exclude, in the board’s discretion, those dentists using general anesthesia or sedation in a competent and effective manner as of the effective date of the rules.
(d) Establish further requirements relating to the use of general anesthesia or sedation, including, but not limited to, office equipment and the training of dental assistants or dental hygienists who work with dentists using general anesthesia or sedation.
(e) Establish an administrative mechanism enabling the board to verify compliance with training, education, experience, equipment, or certification requirements of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants adopted pursuant to this subsection. The board may charge a fee to defray the cost of verifying compliance with requirements adopted pursuant to this paragraph.
(4) A dentist or dental hygienist who administers or employs the use of any form of anesthesia must possess a certification in either basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation for health professionals or advanced cardiac life support approved by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross or an equivalent agency-sponsored course with recertification every 2 years. Each dental office which uses any form of anesthesia must have immediately available and in good working order such resuscitative equipment, oxygen, and other resuscitative drugs as are specified by rule of the board in order to manage possible adverse reactions.
(5) A dental hygienist under the direct supervision of a dentist may administer local anesthesia, including intraoral block anesthesia, soft tissue infiltration anesthesia, or both, to a nonsedated patient who is 18 years of age or older, if the following criteria are met:
(a) The dental hygienist has successfully completed a course in the administration of local anesthesia which is offered by a dental or dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or approved by the board. The course must include a minimum of 30 hours of didactic instruction and 30 hours of clinical experience, and instruction in:
1. Theory of pain control.
2. Selection-of-pain-control modalities.
3. Anatomy.
4. Neurophysiology.
5. Pharmacology of local anesthetics.
6. Pharmacology of vasoconstrictors.
7. Psychological aspects of pain control.
8. Systematic complications.
9. Techniques of maxillary anesthesia.
10. Techniques of mandibular anesthesia.
11. Infection control.
12. Medical emergencies involving local anesthesia.
(b) The dental hygienist presents evidence of current certification in basic or advanced cardiac life support.
(c) The dental hygienist possesses a valid certificate issued under subsection (6).
(6) Any dental hygienist seeking a certificate to administer local anesthesia must apply to the department, remit an application fee, and submit proof of successful completion of a course in the administration of local anesthesia pursuant to subsection (5). The board shall certify, and the department shall issue a certificate to, any dental hygienist who fulfills the qualifications of subsection (5). The board shall establish a one-time application fee not to exceed $35. The certificate is not subject to renewal but is part of the dental hygienist’s permanent record and must be prominently displayed at the location where the dental hygienist is authorized to administer local anesthesia. The board shall adopt rules necessary to administer subsection (5) and this subsection.
(7) A licensed dentist may utilize an X-ray machine, expose dental X-ray films, and interpret or read such films. The provisions of part IV of chapter 468 to the contrary notwithstanding, a licensed dentist may authorize or direct a dental assistant to operate such equipment and expose such films under her or his direction and supervision, pursuant to rules adopted by the board in accordance with s. 466.024 which ensure that said assistant is competent by reason of training and experience to operate said equipment in a safe and efficient manner. The board may charge a fee not to exceed $35 to defray the cost of verifying compliance with requirements adopted pursuant to this section.
(8) The provisions of s. 465.0276 notwithstanding, a dentist need not register with the board or comply with the continuing education requirements of that section if the dentist confines her or his dispensing activity to the dispensing of fluorides and chlorohexidine rinse solutions; provided that the dentist complies with and is subject to all laws and rules applicable to pharmacists and pharmacies, including, but not limited to, chapters 465, 499, and 893, and all applicable federal laws and regulations, when dispensing such products.
(9) Any adverse incident that occurs in an office maintained by a dentist must be reported to the department. The required notification to the department must be submitted in writing by certified mail and postmarked within 48 hours after the incident occurs.
(10) A dentist practicing in this state must notify the board in writing by certified mail within 48 hours after any adverse incident that occurs in the dentist’s outpatient facility. A complete written report must be filed with the board within 30 days after the incident occurs.
(11) Any certified registered dental hygienist administering local anesthesia must notify the board in writing by registered mail within 48 hours after any adverse incident that was related to or the result of the administration of local anesthesia. A complete written report must be filed with the board within 30 days after the mortality or other adverse incident.
(12) A failure by the dentist or dental hygienist to timely and completely comply with all the reporting requirements in this section is the basis for disciplinary action by the board pursuant to s. 466.028(1).
(13) The department shall review each adverse incident and determine whether it involved conduct by a health care professional subject to disciplinary action, in which case s. 456.073 applies. Disciplinary action, if any, shall be taken by the board under which the health care professional is licensed.
(14) As used in subsections (9)-(13), the term “adverse incident” means any mortality that occurs during or as the result of a dental procedure, or an incident that results in a temporary or permanent physical or mental injury that requires hospitalization or emergency room treatment of a dental patient which occurs during or as a direct result of the use of general anesthesia, deep sedation, moderate sedation, pediatric moderate sedation, oral sedation, minimal sedation (anxiolysis), nitrous oxide, or local anesthesia.
(15) The board may adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—ss. 1, 3, ch. 79-330; ss. 13, 15, 25, 27, 30, 34, 62, ch. 80-406; s. 328, ch. 81-259; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 1, ch. 85-156; ss. 10, 23, 24, ch. 86-291; s. 1, ch. 87-208; s. 37, ch. 89-162; s. 60, ch. 91-137; s. 7, ch. 91-156; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 34, ch. 95-144; s. 256, ch. 97-103; s. 109, ch. 97-264; s. 3, ch. 2012-14; s. 28, ch. 2020-133.