KRS 313.045: Administrative regulations governing dental assistants.

(1) The board shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS

Chapter 13A to define registration requirements, duties, training, and standards of

practice that may be performed by a dental assistant who has a minimum of one (1)

year of dental office experience.

(2) The board shall approve the instructor and the courses of study for approving

duties, training, and standards of practice that may be performed by a registered

dental assistant.

(3) A registered dental assistant shall practice under the supervision, order, control, and

full responsibility of a dentist licensed under this chapter.

(4) A registration issued to a registered dental assistant shall be continuously displayed

in a conspicuous place in the office of the licensee.

(5) Supervising dentists shall only assign to registered dental assistants procedures that

do not require the professional competence of a licensed dentist or a licensed dental

hygienist.

(6) Registered dental assistant services may include coronal polishing, a cosm etic

procedure that is not essential to therapeutic oral prophylaxis, if the following

criteria are observed:

(a) Polishing activities are limited to the use of a rubber cap attached to a slow -

speed rotary dental handpiece or dental hygiene cordless polisher;

(b) The assistant has received a certificate from the board's approved instructor

that ensures the assistant has successfully completed a dental assisting course

developed by the board and a committee of dental educators from the

Kentucky institutions of dental education accredited by the Commission on

Dental Accreditation; and

(c) The dental assisting course includes basic dental assisting and coronal

polishing instruction that includes didactic, preclinical, clinical training, and

competency testing.

(7) Registered dental assistant services shall not include the following:

(a) Diagnosis;

(b) Treatment planning and prescription, including prescriptions for drugs or

medicaments, or authorization for restorative, prosthodontic, or orthodontic

appliances; and

(c) Surgical procedures on hard or soft tissues of the oral cavity, or any other

intraoral procedure that contributes to or results in an irreversible alteration of

the oral anatomy.

(8) A licensed dentist may delegate the taking of radiographs to registered dental

assistants who have completed board -approved training in radiography technique

and safety. The course completion certificate shall be maintained by the supervising

dentist and be made available to the board upon request.