The following issues have been adopted by the Registered Dental Hygienists of Texas as their legislative priorities for the 2009 session of the Texas Legislature:

Improve access to long-term, consistent oral health care by expanding Section 262.1515
Expand Section 262.1515 of the Dental Practice Act to increase locations dental hygienists can enter to include Head Start Centers, Community Health Centers, and any other Texas State Board of Dental Examiners approved facility, and to increase the number of times a dental hygienist can provide services to a patient in one of these facilities during a one year period.

Administration of Local Anesthesia Under Supervision
Legislation to allow a dentist to delegate to a registered dental hygienist the administration of local anesthesia for management of treatment-related pain. This bill would give a Texas dentist the option and authority to delegate to a properly trained dental hygienist the administration of local anesthesia under supervision.

For further information regarding the 2009 Legislative Priorities of the TDHA, please contact: