G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S
continued
State Commences Work on Oral Health Plan
The Department of Health, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) convened several meetings over
the summer to garner stakeholders’ insight and expertise as the state develops an Oral Health Plan for Pennsylvania. The last state
Oral Health Plan, published in 2002, is woefully outdated. PDA members and staff participated in the stakeholder meetings.
The Oral Health Plan, intended to be operational for 2016-2020, will focus on goals and objectives related to oral public health
infrastructure, access to care and prevention and oral health workforce development. It is intended to be the collective voice of oral
health advocates and others, so that government, business and stakeholders can better focus its efforts and resources on agreedupon initiatives.
DOH intends to finalize the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan this fall.
Dental Hygiene
Supervision
Did you know that under certain
circumstances, dental hygienists are
able to provide care to patients without
the dentist being physically present in the
office? Dentists must first use the ASA
Classifications to determine a patient’s health and treatment
plan and the appropriate level of supervision of the dental
hygienist.
ASA CLASS I—A classification of patient status developed
by the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a patient
without systemic disease.
ASA CLASS II—A classification of patient status developed
by the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a patient
with mild systemic disease.
ASA CLASS III—A classification of patient status developed
by the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a patient
with severe systemic disease that limits activity but is not
incapacitating.
ASA CLASS IV—A classification of patient status developed
by the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a patient
with incapacitating systemic disease that is a constant threat
to life.
ASA CLASS V—A classification of patient status developed
by the American Society of Anesthesiologists for a moribund
patient not expected to survive 24 hours with or without
operation.
General supervision is defined as the supervision of a dentist
who examines the patient, develops a treatment plan, authorizes
the performance of dental hygiene services to be performed
within one year of the examination and takes full professional
responsibility for the performance of the hygienist.
Direct supervision is still defined as supervision by a dentist
who examines the patient, authorizes the procedure to be
performed, is physically