Michigan Public Health Code and Dental Practice Act Structure
Where the law lives
Michigan regulates dental hygiene through the Public Health Code, Act 368 of 1978, Article 15 (Occupations), Part 166 (Dentistry). Part 166 creates the Board of Dentistry, defines the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene, sets licensure and discipline grounds, and authorizes the Board to adopt administrative rules. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), through the Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL), handles applications, renewals, complaints, and investigations. The Board is the policy and adjudicative body; BPL is the operational agency.
How to read a scope question
First ask whether the activity falls within the statutory definition of dental hygiene. If it does, check whether a Board rule or the statute requires a particular supervision level or additional credential. If it does not, the task cannot be delegated to a hygienist merely because a dentist asks. The statute controls over office policy, and a rule controls over a custom.
Worked example
A dentist asks a hygienist to administer a local anesthetic. The hygienist holds a Michigan dental hygiene license but no local anesthesia authority. The statutory definition of dental hygiene includes local anesthesia only for a hygienist who has met the additional requirements; the license alone is not enough. The correct answer is that the hygienist cannot administer it until the Board grants the additional authority.
Traps
Do not treat 'Dental Practice Act' as a separate Michigan statute; it is Part 166 of the Public Health Code. Do not assume the Board writes the statute; it adopts rules under statutory authority. Do not confuse licensure (hygienists) with registration (certain assistants/auxiliaries) when the question asks who may perform a task.