NJ Dental Hygiene Jurisprudence flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Dental Practice Act citation

The New Jersey statute governing dentistry and dental hygiene is N.J.S.A. 45:6-1 et seq., with Board of Dentistry regulations codified at N.J.A.C. 13:30-1 et seq.

Board of Dentistry location

The Board of Dentistry is an occupational licensing board within the Division of Consumer Affairs, in the Department of Law and Public Safety, subject to Attorney General and Division oversight.

Statutory definition of dentistry

The Act defines dentistry broadly to include diagnosis, treatment planning, and procedures on teeth, gums, and associated oral structures, reserving those acts to licensed dentists.

Dental hygiene defined separately

Dental hygiene is defined more narrowly than dentistry in the Act, covering preventive and therapeutic hygiene services performed under dentist supervision rather than diagnosis or treatment planning.

Unlicensed practice violation

Practicing dentistry or dental hygiene without a valid license, or beyond the scope of the license held, violates the Act and exposes the person to criminal penalties and licensing discipline.

Corporate practice restriction

A non-dentist generally may not own or control a dental practice providing professional services; services must be delivered through a structure permitted under the Act and Board rules.

Biennial license renewal

New Jersey dental hygiene licenses renew on a two-year cycle; the licensee must file the renewal application, pay the fee, and attest to completed continuing education by the Board deadline.

Continuing education requirements

Each renewal period, hygienists must complete Board-specified continuing education hours, including mandated topics such as infection control and ethics or jurisprudence, from approved providers.

CE documentation retention

Licensees must keep certificates of continuing education completion and produce them if the Board audits the renewal, because credit is accepted only from approved courses.

Lapsed license restoration

A license lapsed for nonrenewal is restored by paying renewal and late fees and documenting required continuing education; practicing before restoration is unlicensed practice.

Inactive license status

A licensee granted inactive status may not practice dental hygiene until the Board restores active status after the required fees and continuing education are satisfied.

Change of address notice

Licensees must notify the Board of a change of name or address within the period set by Board rule so that official correspondence and renewal notices reach the licensee.

Direct supervision defined

Direct supervision means the dentist is physically present in the office, has examined the patient, and is available during the procedure performed by the hygienist.

Indirect supervision defined

Indirect supervision means the dentist has authorized the service and established a treatment plan but need not be physically present, remaining available for consultation.

Hygienist scope of services

Licensed dental hygiene services include prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, polishing, fluoride application, sealant placement, and patient education within the delegated treatment plan.

Local anesthesia by hygienist

A dental hygienist may administer local anesthesia only after completing Board-approved additional training and only under the supervision level and conditions the Board specifies.

Acts outside hygiene scope

Hygienists may not diagnose, treatment plan, cut or fill hard tissue, extract teeth, or prescribe medications; those acts remain within the dentist's exclusive scope of practice.

Prior dentist examination requirement

A dentist must examine the patient and establish a treatment plan before hygiene services are delegated; the hygienist practices from that dentist's authorization.

Delegation responsibility

Delegation of a service to a hygienist is personal to the supervising dentist, who remains responsible for ensuring the service is within scope and properly supervised.

Board rule citation

Board of Dentistry regulations are codified at N.J.A.C. 13:30 and address licensure, practice standards, office facilities, recordkeeping, delegation, and disciplinary procedure.

Office facility standards

Board rules require dental offices to maintain specified equipment, sterilization areas, and emergency provisions wherever dental hygiene services are delivered to patients.

Hygienist cannot supervise

A dental hygienist may not supervise other hygienists or dental assistants in clinical services; supervision authority under the Act rests with the licensed dentist.

Rule violation as discipline ground

Failure to comply with a Board regulation is an independent basis for discipline, even when the conduct does not separately violate a specific statutory provision.

Standard precautions

Standard precautions require hand hygiene, gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns for procedures with anticipated exposure to blood or body fluids, applied to all patients.

Sterilization monitoring

Critical and semicritical instruments are cleaned then sterilized, typically by steam autoclave, with biological indicators used to verify that sterilization cycles are effective.

Exposure control plan

The office must maintain a written bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan, offer hepatitis B vaccination to at-risk staff, and document post-exposure evaluation and follow-up.

Sharps handling

Needles and other sharps are placed in puncture-resistant sharps containers and are not recapped by hand when a safer recapping method or device is available.

Patient record retention

Patient records must be accurate, legible, contemporaneous, and retained for the period Board rule requires; patients have a right of access to their records.

Informed consent elements

Informed consent requires telling the patient the diagnosis, proposed treatment, reasonable alternatives, and material risks in understandable terms before treatment begins.

Child abuse reporting duty

Dental hygienists must report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated authority under N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10; confidentiality yields to this mandatory reporting obligation.

Patient abandonment

Ending the professional relationship without reasonable notice and an opportunity to obtain care constitutes abandonment and is a basis for Board disciplinary action.

Board disciplinary sanctions

Board sanctions include reprimand, censure, probation, suspension, revocation, civil penalties, and required remediation or monitoring, imposed after investigation and hearing.

Contested case procedure

Complaints are investigated by the Division of Consumer Affairs; contested cases are heard by an Administrative Law Judge, whose initial decision the Board reviews before a final order.