45:6-49 Definitions.

2. For the purposes of this act:

a. "Board" means the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry.

b. "Registered dental assistant" means any person who has fulfilled the requirements for registration established by this act and who has been registered by the board. A registered dental assistant shall work under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

c. "Dental assistant" means any person who is trained by formal education or office internship to perform, under the direct supervision of a dentist, any routine office procedure, not including an intra-oral procedure, in the office of a dentist.

d. "Dental hygienist" means any person who performs in the office of any licensed dentist or in any appropriately equipped school, dental clinic, or institution under the supervision of a licensed dentist, those educational, preventive and therapeutic services and procedures which licensed dental hygienists are trained to perform, and which are specifically permitted by regulation of the board, and such intra-oral clinical services which are primarily concerned with preventive dental procedures, including, but not limited to, during the course of a complete prophylaxis, removing all hard and soft deposits and stains from the surfaces of the human teeth to the depth of the gingival sulcus, polishing natural and restored surfaces of teeth, applying indicated topical agents, surveying intra- and extra-oral structures, noting deformities, defects and abnormalities thereof, performing a complete oral prophylaxis and providing clinical instruction to promote the maintenance of dental health.

e. "Direct supervision" means acts performed in the office of a licensed dentist wherein he is physically present at all times during the performance of such acts and such acts are performed pursuant to his order, control and full professional responsibility.

f. "Supervision" means acts performed pursuant to a dentist's written order, control and full professional responsibility, whether or not he is physically present.

g. "Limited registered dental assistant" means any person who has fulfilled the requirements for registration established by this amendatory and supplementary act and who has been registered by the board. A limited registered dental assistant shall be limited to working under the direct supervision of a dentist who conducts a limited dental practice in the dental specialty for which the assistant has been trained and registered, and in performing those intra-oral procedures as defined by the board which are involved in that specialty.

h. "Dental clinic" means dental clinic as defined in section 1 of P.L.1951, c.199 (C.45:6-15.1).

i. "Institution" means any nursing home, veterans' home, hospital or prison, or any State or county facility providing inpatient care, supervision and treatment for persons with developmental disabilities.

L.1979, c.46, s.2; amended 1995, c.367, s.1; 2012, c.29, s.1.