{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-328.3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-328.3","heading":"Definitions","body":"\n\nAs used in the State Dental Act, the following words, phrases,\n\nor terms, unless the context otherwise indicates, shall have the\n\nfollowing meanings:\n\n1. “Accredited dental college” means an institution whose\n\ndental educational program is accredited by the Commission on Dental\n\nAccreditation of the American Dental Association;\n\n2. “Accredited dental hygiene program” means a dental hygiene\n\neducational program which is accredited by the Commission on Dental\n\nAccreditation of the American Dental Association;\n\n3. “Accredited dental assisting program or class” means a\n\ndental assisting program which is accredited by the Commission on\n\nDental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or a class\n\napproved by the Board of Dentistry;\n\n4. “Advanced procedure” means a dental procedure for which a\n\ndental hygienist has received special training in a course of study\n\napproved by the Board;\n\n5. “Board” means the Board of Dentistry;\n\n6. “Certified dental assistant” means a dental assistant who\n\nhas earned and maintains current certified dental assistant\n\ncertification from the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB);\n\n7. “Coronal polishing” means a procedure limited to the removal\n\nof plaque and stain from exposed tooth surfaces, utilizing a slow\n\nspeed hand piece with a prophy/polishing cup or brush and polishing\n\nagent and is not prophylaxis. To be considered prophylaxis,\n\nexamination for calculus and scaling must be done by a dental\n\nhygienist or dentist;\n\n8. “Deep sedation” means a drug-induced depression of\n\nconsciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused but\n\nrespond purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation. The\n\nability to independently maintain ventilator function may be\n\nimpaired. Patients may require assistance in maintaining a patent\n\nairway, and spontaneous ventilation may be inadequate.\n\nCardiovascular function is usually maintained;\n\n9. “Dentistry” means the practice of dentistry in all of its\n\nbranches;\n\n10. “Dentist” means a graduate of an accredited dental college\n\nwho has been issued a license by the Board to practice dentistry as\n\ndefined in Section 328.19 of this title;\n\n11. “Dental ambulatory surgical center (DASC)” means a facility\n\nthat operates exclusively for the purpose of furnishing outpatient\n\nsurgical services to patients. A DASC shall have the same\n\nprivileges and requirements as a dental office and additionally must\n\nbe an accredited facility by the appropriate entity;\n\n12. “Dental appliance” means a dental appliance, prosthetic\n\ndenture, bridge, restoration, or other device made for an individual\n\npatient for a purpose listed in Section 328.19 of this title;\n\n13. “Dental office” means an establishment owned and operated\n\nby a dentist for the practice of dentistry, which may be composed of\n\nreception rooms, business offices, private offices, laboratories,\n\nand dental operating rooms where dental operations are performed;\n\n14. “Dental hygiene” means the science and practice of the\n\npromotion of oral health and prevention and treatment of oral\n\ndisease through the provision of educational, therapeutic, clinical,\n\nand preventive services;\n\n15. “Dental hygienist” means an individual who has fulfilled\n\nthe educational requirements and is a graduate of an accredited\n\ndental hygiene program and who has passed an examination and has\n\nbeen issued a license by the Board and who is authorized to practice\n\ndental hygiene as defined in this section;\n\n16. “Dental assistant” means an individual working for a\n\ndentist, under the dentist’s direct supervision or direct visual\n\nsupervision, and performing duties in the dental office or a\n\ntreatment facility including the limited treatment of patients in\n\naccordance with the provisions of the State Dental Act. A dental\n\nassistant may assist a dentist with the patient; provided, this\nin this section;\n\n16. “Dental assistant” means an individual working for a\n\ndentist, under the dentist’s direct supervision or direct visual\n\nsupervision, and performing duties in the dental office or a\n\ntreatment facility including the limited treatment of patients in\n\naccordance with the provisions of the State Dental Act. A dental\n\nassistant may assist a dentist with the patient; provided, this\n\nshall be done only under the direct supervision or direct visual\n\nsupervision and control of the dentist and only in accordance with\n\nthe educational requirements and rules promulgated by the Board;\n\n17. “Dental laboratory” means a location, whether in a dental\n\noffice or not, where a dentist or a dental laboratory technician\n\nperforms dental laboratory technology;\n\n18. “Dental laboratory technician” means an individual whose\n\nname is duly filed in the official records of the Board, which\n\nauthorizes the technician, upon the laboratory prescription of a\n\ndentist, to perform dental laboratory technology, which services\n\nmust be rendered only to the prescribing dentist and not to the\n\npublic;\n\n19. “Dental laboratory technology” means using materials and\n\nmechanical devices for the construction, reproduction or repair of\n\ndental restorations, appliances or other devices to be worn in a\n\nhuman mouth;\n\n20. “Dental specialty” means a specialized practice of a branch\n\nof dentistry, recognized by the Board, where the dental college and\n\nspecialty program are accredited by the Commission on Dental\n\nAccreditation (CODA), or a dental specialty recognized by the Board,\n\nrequiring a minimum number of hours of approved education and\n\ntraining and/or recognition by a nationally recognized association\n\nor accreditation board;\n\n21. “Direct supervision” means the supervisory dentist is in\n\nthe dental office or treatment facility and, during the appointment,\n\npersonally examines the patient, diagnoses any conditions to be\n\ntreated, and authorizes the procedures to be performed by a dental\n\nhygienist or dental assistant. The supervising dentist is\n\ncontinuously on-site and physically present in the dental office or\n\ntreatment facility while the procedures are being performed and,\n\nbefore dismissal of the patient, evaluates the results of the dental\n\ntreatment;\n\n22. “Direct visual supervision” means the supervisory dentist\n\nhas direct ongoing visual oversight which shall be maintained at all\n\ntimes during any procedure authorized to be performed by a dental\n\nassistant;\n\n23. “Expanded duty” means a dental procedure for which a dental\n\nassistant has received special training in a course of study\n\napproved by the Board;\n\n24. “Fellowship” means a program designed for post-residency\n\ngraduates to gain knowledge and experience in a specialized field;\n\n25. “General anesthesia” means a drug-induced loss of\n\nconsciousness during which patients are not arousable, even by\n\npainful stimulation. The ability to independently maintain\n\nventilator function is often impaired. Patients often require\n\nassistance in maintaining a patent airway, and positive pressure\n\nventilation may be required because of depressed spontaneous\n\nventilation or drug-induced depression of neuromuscular function.\n\nCardiovascular function may be impaired;\n\n26. “General supervision” means the supervisory dentist has\n\ndiagnosed any conditions to be treated within the past thirteen (13)\n\nmonths, has personally authorized the procedures to be performed by\n\na dental hygienist, and will evaluate the results of the dental\n\ntreatment within a reasonable time as determined by the nature of\n\nthe procedures performed, the needs of the patient, and the\n\nprofessional judgment of the supervisory dentist. General\n\nsupervision may only be used to supervise a dental hygienist and may\n\nnot be used to supervise a dental assistant except as provided by\n\nSection 328.58 of this title;\n\n27. “Indirect supervision” means the supervisory dentist is in\na reasonable time as determined by the nature of\n\nthe procedures performed, the needs of the patient, and the\n\nprofessional judgment of the supervisory dentist. General\n\nsupervision may only be used to supervise a dental hygienist and may\n\nnot be used to supervise a dental assistant except as provided by\n\nSection 328.58 of this title;\n\n27. “Indirect supervision” means the supervisory dentist is in\n\nthe dental office or treatment facility and has personally diagnosed\n\nany conditions to be treated, authorizes the procedures to be\n\nperformed by a dental hygienist, remains in the dental office or\n\ntreatment facility while the procedures are being performed, and\n\nwill evaluate the results of the dental treatment within a\n\nreasonable time as determined by the nature of the procedures\n\nperformed, the needs of the patient, and the professional judgment\n\nof the supervisory dentist. Indirect supervision may not be used\n\nfor a dental assistant;\n\n28. “Investigations” means an investigation proceeding,\n\nauthorized under Sections 328.15A and 328.43a of this title, to\n\ninvestigate alleged violations of the State Dental Act or the rules\n\nof the Board;\n\n29. “Laboratory prescription” means a written description,\n\ndated and signed by a dentist, of dental laboratory technology to be\n\nperformed by a dental laboratory technician;\n\n30. “Minimal sedation” means a minimally depressed level of\n\nconsciousness, produced by a pharmacological method, that retains\n\nthe patient’s ability to independently and continuously maintain an\n\nairway and respond normally to tactile stimulation and verbal\n\ncommand. Although cognitive function and coordination may be\n\nmodestly impaired, ventilator and cardiovascular functions are\n\nunaffected;\n\n31. “Mobile dental anesthesia provider” means a licensed and\n\nanesthesia-permitted dentist, physician or Certified Registered\n\nNurse Anesthetist (CRNA) that has a mobile dental unit and provides\n\nanesthesia in dental offices and facilities in the state;\n\n32. “Mobile dental clinic” means a permitted motor vehicle or\n\ntrailer utilized as a dental clinic, and/or that contains dental\n\nequipment and is used to provide dental services to patients on-site\n\nand shall not include a mobile dental anesthesia provider. A mobile\n\ndental clinic shall also mean and include a volunteer mobile dental\n\nfacility that is directly affiliated with a church or religious\n\norganization as defined by Section 501(c)(3) or 501(d) of the United\n\nStates Internal Revenue Code, the church or religious organization\n\nwith which it is affiliated is clearly indicated on the exterior of\n\nthe volunteer mobile dental facility, and such facility does not\n\nreceive any form of payment either directly or indirectly for work\n\nprovided to patients other than donations through the affiliated\n\nchurch or religious organization; provided, that the volunteer\n\nmobile dental facility shall be exempt from any registration fee\n\nrequired under the State Dental Act;\n\n33. “Moderate sedation” means a drug-induced depression of\n\nconsciousness during which patients respond purposefully to verbal\n\ncommands, either alone or accompanied by light tactile stimulation.\n\nNo interventions are required to maintain a patent airway, and\n\nspontaneous ventilation is adequate. Cardiovascular function is\n\nusually maintained;\n\n34. “Prophylaxis” means the removal of any and all calcareous\n\ndeposits, stains, accretions or concretions from the supragingival\n\nand subgingival surfaces of human teeth, utilizing instrumentation\n\nby scaler or periodontal curette on the crown and root surfaces of\n\nhuman teeth including rotary or power-driven instruments. This\n\nprocedure may only be performed by a dentist or dental hygienist;\n\n35. “Patient” or “patient of record” means an individual who\n\nhas given a medical history and has been examined and accepted by a\n\ndentist for dental care;\n\n36. “Residencies” are programs designed for advanced clinical\nodontal curette on the crown and root surfaces of\n\nhuman teeth including rotary or power-driven instruments. This\n\nprocedure may only be performed by a dentist or dental hygienist;\n\n35. “Patient” or “patient of record” means an individual who\n\nhas given a medical history and has been examined and accepted by a\n\ndentist for dental care;\n\n36. “Residencies” are programs designed for advanced clinical\n\nand didactic training in general dentistry or other specialties or\n\nother specialists at the post-doctoral level recognized by the\n\nCommission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or the Board;\n\n37. “Supervision” means direct supervision, direct visual\n\nsupervision, indirect supervision or general supervision;\n\n38. “Teledentistry” means the remote delivery of dental patient\n\ncare via telecommunications and other technology for the exchange of\n\nclinical information and images for dental consultation, preliminary\n\ntreatment planning and patient monitoring; and\n\n39. “Treatment facility” means:\n\na. a federal, tribal, state or local public health\n\nfacility,\n\nb. a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC),\n\nc. a private health facility,\n\nd. a group home or residential care facility serving the\n\nelderly, disabled or juveniles,\n\ne. a hospital or dental ambulatory surgery center (DASC),\n\nf. a nursing home,\n\ng. a penal institution operated by or under contract with\n\nthe federal or state government,\n\nh. a public or private school,\n\ni. a patient of record’s private residence,\n\nj. a mobile dental clinic,\n\nk. a dental college, dental program, dental hygiene\n\nprogram or dental assisting program accredited by the\n\nCommission on Dental Accreditation, or\n\nl. such other places as are authorized by the Board.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"66843754cda89b6249182f302ae54c5dfa9d88bbe9d17f850b3942f146e22bd1","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-328.29a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-328.31"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}