§447-1  Who may become dental hygienists;
fees.  (a)  Any person:



(1)  Eighteen years of age or over;



(2)  Holding and having a diploma or proper
certificate of graduation from a dental hygiene school accredited by the
American Dental Association (A.D.A.) Commission on Dental Accreditation
requiring at least a two year course, recognized by the board of dental
examiners; and



(3)  Having been officially certified in the
administration of intra-oral infiltration local anesthesia and intra‑oral
block anesthesia by an accredited dental hygiene school or by a certification
program previously approved by the board;



upon written application made to and filed with the
board may be examined for qualification as a dental hygienist.



The application for examination shall be
accompanied by the applicant's certificate of graduation from an accredited
dental hygiene school together with documentary proof of the applicant's
certification in the administration of intra-oral infiltration local anesthesia
and intra-oral block anesthesia.  At the time of filing the application, the
applicant shall pay to the board application and examination fees, which fees,
together with all other fees or charges in this chapter, shall be as provided
in rules adopted by the director of commerce and consumer affairs pursuant to
chapter 91, and shall be deposited to the credit of the compliance resolution
fund established pursuant to section 26-9(o).



(b)  The board shall require an applicant to
take and pass the State's examination or one of the following four regional
examinations given after February 1, 2005, by:



(1)  The Western Regional Examining Board;



(2)  The Central Regional Dental Testing Service,
Inc.;



(3)  The Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.; or



(4)  The North East Regional Board of Dental
Examiners.



(c)  Once a national examination is available,
an applicant shall take and pass the national examination, and neither the
state examination nor any regional examination shall be accepted; provided that
an applicant who has taken and passed the state or a regional examination after
February 1, 2005, but prior to the availability of a national examination shall
be deemed to have met the board's examination requirement.



(d)  If the applicant successfully passes the
examination, the applicant shall be licensed to practice as a dental hygienist
in the State.  Every licensed dental hygienist, before entering practice, shall
pay the board a license fee.  On or before December 31 of each odd-numbered
year, every licensed dental hygienist desiring to begin or continue to practice
in the State shall pay to the board a fee for the biennial licensure thereof. 
The failure, neglect, or refusal of any duly licensed dental hygienist to pay
the biennial licensure fee shall constitute a forfeiture of the license, but
the license may be restored upon written application therefor and payment to
the board of a restoration fee.



(e)  An applicant's or licensed dental
hygienist's competence to administer intra-oral infiltration local anesthesia
shall be demonstrated by certification in the administration of intra-oral
infiltration local anesthesia by an accredited dental hygiene school or by a
certification program previously approved by the board.  In addition, an
applicant's or licensed dental hygienist's competence to administer intra-oral
block anesthesia shall be demonstrated by proof of successful completion of a
course of study in accordance with standards provided for in this chapter, and
the issuance of a certificate or other program documentation listing the
intra-oral block anesthesia categories in which the applicant or licensed
dental hygienist has acquired knowledge and proficiency.



The applicant or licensed dental hygienist
shall also submit documentation of the course content when submitting the
certificate.  The board shall certify that the applicant or licensed dental
hygienist has met the requirements of this chapter; provided that the licensed
dental hygienist's administration of intra-oral block anesthesia shall be under
the direct supervision of a licensed dentist and shall be for those categories
of intra-oral block anesthesia listed on the course of study certificate
submitted to the board.



(f)  No person shall practice dental hygiene,
either gratuitously or for pay, or shall offer or attempt so to practice, or
shall advertise or announce publicly or privately as being prepared or
qualified so to practice, without having a license as in this section provided,
nor shall any licensed dental hygienist practice except under the supervision of
a licensed dentist as in this chapter provided. [L 1920, c 7, §1; am L 1923, c
136, §1; RL 1925, §1083; am L 1927, c 149, §1; am L 1931, c 158, §1; RL 1935,
§1000; am L 1941, c 6, §1; RL 1945, §2181; am L 1949, c 59, §1; RL 1955, §62-1;
am L 1959, c 90, §1; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §§14, 15; am L 1961, c 142, §4 and c
184, §28; am L 1963, c 114, §§1, 3; HRS §447-1; am L 1975, c 118, §10; am L
1982, c 204, §8 and c 240, §1; am L 1983, c 124, §17; am L 1984, c 7, §24; am L
1987, c 73, §1; am L 1989, c 232, §1; am L 1991, c 51, §1; am L 1994, c 183,
§2; am L 1997, c 9, §§1, 2, c 39, §1, and c 232, §6; am L 1999, c 97, §3; am L
2004, c 69, §1; am L 2005, c 122, §1]



 



Cross References



 



  Board of dental examiners, see §448-5.



  Disposal of examination records, see §94-5.