Dental Regulations in the United States

The Academy stands ready to assist all dentists, hygienists, regulatory boards or agencies by educating their members in the effective and safe use of dental lasers. We are available to assist you on an informational basis in developing a policy for laser use if any state board has that need or desire. We are available to answer questions you may have and provide you with additional information.

• Lasers in Dentistry Information Packet
• Lasers for Phase One Periodontal Therapy

The Academy of Laser Dentistry would like to help ensure both the preservation of public safety and the freedom of clinical judgment by practitioners.  We believe usage parameters should be defined within the law, rules and guidelines set forth in each state's dental practice act. We therefore make the following recommendations regarding safe and effective laser usage:

The ALD supports the use of lasers in dentistry when used by a properly trained and licensed dental professional where the procedure is safe, effective, and consistent with his/her education and experience, and within the scope of his/her licensure.    If such procedures are permitted under the existing dental practice act, we feel the provider of dental services (dentist, hygienist or dental assistant) should be able to choose any device suitable to perform that procedure, laser or otherwise - if that device is safe and effective, and if the use of that device is consistent with the provider's education, training and experience.  Lastly, the ALD recommends that practitioners wishing to use a laser complete, at minimum, a Category II Standard Proficiency level certification course as described in the Curriculum Guidelines and Standards for Dental Laser Education.

In brief this includes a minimum of 12 hours of specific educational activity which should include hands on training on the specific device the practitioner intends to use and a measured outcome learning verification exercise.

The full position statement is available on the ALD website:

• Position Statement

The following links provide easy access to each State's
Board of Dentistry and Dental Scope of Practice Act.

AL-Alabama

• http://www.dentalboard.org/
• http://www.dentalboard.org/pdf/dentalpracticeact.pdf

AK-Alaska

• http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pden.htm
• http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pden9.htm

AZ-Arizona

• http://azdentalboard.us/
• http://azdentalboard.us/statutes.html
• http://azdentalboard.us/rules.html
• Look for R4-11-601H.1  look for section H. emerging technologies
   

AR-Arkansas

• http://www.asbde.org/
• http://www.asbde.org/pdfs/April_2010_Dental_Practice_Act.pdf

CA-California

• http://www.dbc.ca.gov/
• http://www.dbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/laws.shtml

CO-Colorado

• http://www.dora.state.co.us/dental/
• http://www.dora.state.co.us/dental/rules.pdf

CN-Connecticut

• http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3143&q=388884&dphNav_GID=1830
• http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/pub/Chap379.htm

DE-Delaware

• http://www.dpr.delaware.gov/boards/dental/index.shtml
• http://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title24/1100.shtml

DC-Washington DC

• http://hpla.doh.dc.gov/hpla/cwp/view,A,1195,Q,488729,hplaNav,%7C30661%7C,.asp
• http://hpla.doh.dc.gov/hpla/frames.asp?doc=/hpla/lib/hpla/dentistry/dental_board_regs_082010.pdf

FL-Florida

• http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/dentistry/
• http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/dentistry/dn_statutes.html

GA-Georgia

• http://www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/dentistry/
• http://www.sos.ga.gov/plb/dentistry/Dental%20Policy%20Manual.pdf

HI-Hawaii

• http://hawaii.gov/health/family-child-health/dental/index.html
• http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/hrs/hrs_pvl_448.pdf/?searchterm=dentistry

ID-Idaho

• http://isbd.idaho.gov/
• http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title54/T54CH9.htm

IL-Illinois

• http://www.idfpr.com/profs/info/Dentist.asp
• http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1296&ChapAct=225%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B25%2F&ChapterID=24&ChapterName=PROFESSIONS+AND+OCCUPATIONS&ActName=Illinois+Dental+Practice+Act%2E

IN-Indiana

• http://www.in.gov/pla/dental.htm
• http://www.in.gov/pla/2404.htm

IA-Iowa

• http://www.state.ia.us/dentalboard/
• http://www.state.ia.us/dentalboard/iacbychapter.html

KS-Kansas

• http://www.accesskansas.org/kdb/
• http://www.accesskansas.org/kdb/legislation.html

KY-Kentucky

• http://www.dentistry.ky.gov/
• http://www.dentistry.ky.gov/laws.htm

LA-Louisiana

• http://www.lsbd.org/
• http://www.lsbd.org/dentalact.htm

ME-Maine

• http://www.mainedental.org/
• http://www.mainedental.org/statutes.htm

MD-Maryland

• http://dhmh.maryland.gov/dental/
• http://dhmh.maryland.gov/dental/Stats_and_regs.htm

MA-Massachusetts

• http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2subtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Provider&L2=Certification%2C+Licensure%2C+and+Registration&L3=Occupational+and+Professional&L4=Dentistry&sid=Eeohhs2
• http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Government&L2=Laws%2c+Regulations+and+Policies&L3=Department+of+Public+Health+Regulations+%26+Policies&L4=Regulations+and+Other+Publications+-+A+to+D&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=dph_regs_dentistry_234cmr&csid=Eeohhs2

MI-Michigan

• http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-27417_27529_27533---,00.html
• http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(v5t4isbybr00f245zpgybn45))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-368-1978-15-166

MN-Minnesota

• http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/
• http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/StatutesRules/CurrentStatutesRules/tabid/136/Default.aspx

MS-Mississippi

• http://www.dentalboard.ms.gov/msbde/msbde.nsf
• http://www.dentalboard.ms.gov/msbde/msbde.nsf/webpages/Laws_PracticeAct?OpenDocument

MO-Missouri

• http://www.modental.org/mx/hm.asp?id=dentalboard
• http://www.modental.org/mx/hm.asp?id=dentalboard#sr

MT-Montana

• http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/den_board/board_page.asp

NE-Nebraska

• http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/medical/dent/Dentist/Dentist.htm
• http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/medical/dent/Dentist/Dentist.htm#Rules

NV-Nevada

• http://www.nvdentalboard.nv.gov/
• http://www.nvdentalboard.nv.gov/Governing_Laws.htm

NH-New Hampshire

• http://www.nh.gov/dental/
• http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-XXX-317-A.htm

NJ-New Jersey

• http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/dentistry/
• http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/dentistry/den_rules.htm

NM-New Mexico

• http://www.rld.state.nm.us/dental/
• http://www.rld.state.nm.us/Dental/ruleslaw.html

NY-New York

• http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/dent/
• http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/dent/dentlaw.htm

NC-North Carolina

• http://www.ncdentalboard.org/
• http://www.ncdentalboard.org/rules_and_laws.htm

ND-North Dakota

• http://www.nddentalboard.org/

OH-Ohio

• http://dental.ohio.gov/licensinginfo.stm
• http://dental.ohio.gov/laws.stm

OK-Oklahoma

• http://www.dentist.state.ok.us/
• http://www.dentist.state.ok.us/2007rules.pdf

OR-Oregon

• http://www.oregon.gov/Dentistry/
• http://www.oregon.gov/Dentistry/regulations.shtml

PA-Pennsylvania

• http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_board_of_dentistry/12509
• http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter33/chap33toc.html
• http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter33/s33.215.html
  Look for 33.215.    Use of lasers in the dental office—statement of policy.

RI-Rhode Island

• http://sos.ri.gov/govdirectory/index.php?page=DetailDeptAgency&eid=114

SC-South Carolina

• http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Dentistry/INDEX.ASP
• http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/dentistry/PDF/DPAExamPolicy.pdf

SD-South Dakota

• https://www.sdboardofdentistry.com/
• https://www.sdboardofdentistry.com/statutesRules.asp

TN-Tennessee

• http://health.state.tn.us/boards/dentistry/
• http://www.state.tn.us/sos/rules/0460/0460-02.20090625.pdf

TX-Texas

• www.tsbde.state.tx.us
• http://www.tsbde.state.tx.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=149&Itemid=150

UT-Utah

• http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/dentistry.html
• http://www.dopl.utah.gov/laws/58-69.pdf

VT-Vermont

• http://www.vtprofessionals.org/opr1/dentists/
• http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullchapter.cfm?Title=26&Chapter=013

VA-Virginia

• http://www.dhp.state.va.us/dentistry/default.htm
• http://www.dhp.state.va.us/dentistry/dentistry_laws_regs.htm

WA-Washington

• http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/Professions/Dental/default.htm
• http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/professions/dental/laws.htm

WV-West Virginia

• http://www.wvdentalboard.org/
• http://www.wvdentalboard.org/laws%20and%20rules%202009.htm

WI-Wisconsin

• http://drl.wi.gov/board_detail.asp?boardid=13&locid=0
• http://drl.wi.gov/board_code_detail.asp?boardid=13&locid=0

Wyoming

• http://plboards.state.wy.us/dental/index.asp
• http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/statutes.aspx?file=titles/Title33/T33CH15.htm