State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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[ House Amendment 001 ]

91_HB1382

 
                                              LRB9100613ACtmB

 1        AN ACT concerning dental hygienists.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.  The Illinois Dental Practice Act  is  amended
 5    by changing Sections 4, 6, 18, and 23 as follows:

 6        (225 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 111, par. 2304)
 7        Sec. 4.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
 8        (a)  "Department"   means   the  Illinois  Department  of
 9    Professional Regulation.
10        (b)  "Director"  means  the  Director   of   Professional
11    Regulation.
12        (c)  "Board"  means the Board of Dentistry established by
13    Section 6 of this Act.
14        (d)  "Dentist" means a person who has received a  general
15    license  pursuant  to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of this Act
16    and who may perform any  intraoral  and  extraoral  procedure
17    required in the practice of dentistry and to whom is reserved
18    the responsibilities specified in Section 17.
19        (e)  "Dental  hygienist"  means  a  person  who  holds  a
20    license   under  this  Act  to  perform  dental  services  as
21    authorized by Section 18.
22        (f)  "Dental assistant" means  an  appropriately  trained
23    person  who,  under  the  supervision  of a dentist, provides
24    dental services as authorized by Section 17.
25        (g)  "Dental  laboratory"  means  a   person,   firm   or
26    corporation which:
27             (i)  engages  in  making,  providing,  repairing  or
28        altering   dental   prosthetic   appliances   and   other
29        artificial  materials and devices which are returned to a
30        dentist for insertion into the human oral cavity or which
31        come in contact with its adjacent structures and tissues;
 
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 1        and
 2             (ii)  utilizes or employs  a  dental  technician  to
 3        provide such services; and
 4             (iii)  performs such functions only for a dentist or
 5        dentists.
 6        (h)  "Supervision"   means   supervision   of   a  dental
 7    hygienist or a dental  assistant  requiring  that  a  dentist
 8    authorize  the procedure, remain in the dental facility while
 9    the procedure is performed, and approve the work performed by
10    the dental hygienist or dental assistant before dismissal  of
11    the  patient,  but  does  not  mean  that the dentist must be
12    present at all times in the treatment room.
13        (i)  "General supervision" means supervision of a  dental
14    hygienist  requiring that a dentist authorize, verbally or in
15    writing, the procedures which are to be  being  carried  out,
16    but  not  requiring  that  a  dentist  be  present  when  the
17    authorized  procedures  are  being performed.  The authorized
18    procedures may also be performed at a place  other  than  the
19    dentist's  usual  place  of  practice.   The  issuance  of  a
20    prescription  to  a  dental  laboratory by a dentist does not
21    constitute general supervision.
22        (j)  "Public member" means a person who is not  a  health
23    professional.    For purposes of board membership, any person
24    with a significant financial interest in a health service  or
25    profession is not a public member.
26        (k)  "Dentistry" means the healing art which is concerned
27    with  the examination, diagnosis, treatment planning and care
28    of conditions within the human oral cavity and  its  adjacent
29    tissues and structures, as further specified in Section 17.
30        (l)  "Branches    of   dentistry"   means   the   various
31    specialties of dentistry which, for  purposes  of  this  Act,
32    shall  be  limited  to  the  following: endodontics, oral and
33    maxillofacial   surgery,   orthodontics    and    dentofacial
34    orthopedics,    pediatric    dentistry,    periodontics   and
 
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 1    prosthodontics.
 2        (m)  "Specialist" means a  dentist  who  has  received  a
 3    specialty license pursuant to Section 11(b).
 4        (n)  "Dental   technician"   means  a  person  who  owns,
 5    operates or is employed by a dental laboratory and engages in
 6    making, providing, repairing or  altering  dental  prosthetic
 7    appliances  and  other artificial materials and devices which
 8    are returned to a dentist for insertion into the  human  oral
 9    cavity  or which come in contact with its adjacent structures
10    and tissues.
11    (Source: P.A. 89-80, eff. 6-30-95; 89-116, eff. 7-7-95.)

12        (225 ILCS 25/6) (from Ch. 111, par. 2306)
13        Sec.  6.   Board  of  Dentistry  -  Report  By   Majority
14    Required.   There  is  created  a  Board  of Dentistry, to be
15    composed of persons designated  from  time  to  time  by  the
16    Director, as follows:
17        Twelve  Ten  persons,  8 of whom have been dentists for a
18    period of 5 years  or  more;  3  of  whom  have  been  dental
19    hygienists  one  who has been a dental hygienist for a period
20    of 5 years or more, and one public member.  None of the 12 10
21     members shall be employed by or be an officer of any  dental
22    college,  or  dental  or  dental  hygiene  department  of any
23    institution of learning.   The  dental  hygienists  hygienist
24    shall  not  participate  in the examination of applicants for
25    licenses to practice dentistry.  The public member shall  not
26    participate  in the examination of applicants for licenses to
27    practice  dentistry  or  dental  hygiene.   The  board  shall
28    annually elect a chairman who shall be a dentist.
29        Terms for all members shall  be  for  4  years.   Partial
30    terms  over  2  years  in  length shall be considered as full
31    terms.  A member may be reappointed for  a  successive  term,
32    but  no  member  shall serve more than 2 full terms in his or
33    her lifetime.
 
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 1        The membership of the Board shall include only  residents
 2    from various geographic areas of this State and shall include
 3    at  least  some graduates from various institutions of dental
 4    education in this State.
 5        In making appointments to the Board  the  Director  shall
 6    give due consideration to recommendations by organizations of
 7    the  dental  profession  in  Illinois, including the Illinois
 8    State  Dental  Society   and   Illinois   Dental   Hygienists
 9    Association,  and  shall  promptly  give  due  notice to such
10    organizations of any vacancy in the membership of the Board.
11    The Director may terminate the appointment of any member  for
12    cause  which  in  the  opinion  of  the  Director  reasonably
13    justifies such termination.
14        A vacancy in the membership of the Board shall not impair
15    the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights  and perform
16    all  the  duties of the Board.  Any action to be taken by the
17    Board under this Act may be authorized by resolution  at  any
18    regular  or  special  meeting, and each such resolution shall
19    take effect immediately.   The  Board  shall  meet  at  least
20    quarterly.    The  Board  may adopt all rules and regulations
21    necessary and incident to its powers and  duties  under  this
22    Act.
23        The   members   of   the  Board  shall  each  receive  as
24    compensation a reasonable sum as determined by  the  Director
25    for  each  day  actually engaged in the duties of the office,
26    and  all  legitimate  and  necessary  expense   incurred   in
27    attending the meetings of the Board.
28        Members  of  the  Board  shall be immune from suit in any
29    action based  upon  any  disciplinary  proceedings  or  other
30    activities performed in good faith as members of the Board.
31    (Source: P.A. 89-80, eff. 6-30-95; 89-116, eff. 7-7-95.)

32        (225 ILCS 25/18) (from Ch. 111, par. 2318)
33        Sec.  18.   Acts  Constituting  the  Practice  of  Dental
 
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 1    Hygiene.  Limitations.  A dental hygienist may be employed or
 2    engaged only:
 3        (a)  Under the general supervision of a dentist:
 4             (1)  in  the  office  or  facility  of  a   licensed
 5        dentist; or
 6             (2)  by a federal, State, county or municipal agency
 7        or institution; or
 8             (3)  by a public or private school; or
 9             (4)  by   a   public   clinic  operating  under  the
10        direction  of  a  hospital  or  federal,  State,  county,
11        municipal or other public agency or institution; .
12        When employed or engaged pursuant to this paragraph (a) a
13    dental hygienist may perform  the  following  procedures  and
14    acts:
15             (i)  the  operative  procedure  of  dental  hygiene,
16        consisting of oral prophylactic procedures,
17             (ii)  the  exposure and processing of X-Ray films of
18        the teeth and surrounding structures,
19             (iii)  the application to the surfaces of the  teeth
20        or   gums   of   chemical   compounds   designed   to  be
21        desensitizing  agents  or   effective   agents   in   the
22        prevention of dental caries or periodontal disease,
23             (iv)  all  services  which  may  be  performed  by a
24        dental assistant as specified by rule pursuant to Section
25        17,
26             (v)  such other procedures  and  acts  as  shall  be
27        prescribed by rule or regulation of the Department.
28        (b)  Under  the  general  supervision  of  a dentist in a
29    long-term care facility licensed by the State of Illinois, or
30    a mental health or developmental disability facility operated
31    by the Department of Human Services, if the patient is unable
32    to travel to a dental office because of illness or infirmity.
33    The dentist shall personally examine and diagnose the patient
34    and determine which services are necessary to  be  performed,
 
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 1    which shall be contained in a written order to the hygienist.
 2    Such  order  must  be  implemented  within  90  days  of  its
 3    issuance,  and an updated medical history and oral inspection
 4    must be performed  by  the  hygienist  immediately  prior  to
 5    beginning  the procedures to ensure that the patient's health
 6    has not changed in any manner to warrant a  reexamination  by
 7    the dentist.
 8        (c)  Without  the  supervision  of  a  dentist,  a dental
 9    hygienist may perform dental health education  functions  and
10    may record case histories and oral conditions observed.
11        (d)  With  the  written  or  verbal  authorization  of  a
12    dentist,  a  licensed dental hygienist may perform a service,
13    task, or procedure as listed under items (i) through  (v)  in
14    subsection (a) of Section 18 in the following settings:
15             (1)  the office or facility of a licensed dentist;
16             (2)  a  licensed  long  term  care  facility, mental
17        health or developmental disability facility;
18             (3)  licensed clinics;
19             (4)  licensed community care facilities;
20             (5)  schools of any grade level  whether  public  or
21        private;
22             (6)  public  institutions including, but not limited
23        to, federal,  State  and  local  penal  and  correctional
24        facilities;
25             (7)  mobile  units  operated by a public, private or
26        governmental  agency  or  a  non-profit   or   charitable
27        organization  approved  by  the  Illinois Board of Dental
28        examiners,  provided  that  the  mobile  units  meet  the
29        statutory and regulatory requirements for mobile units;
30             (8)  a home of a non-ambulatory patient;
31             (9)  a hospice patient's residence; and
32             (10)  any other settings as promulgated by  rule  of
33        the Department.
34        The  number  of  dental hygienists practicing in a dental
 
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 1    office shall not exceed, at any one time, 4 times the  number
 2    of dentists practicing in the office at the time.
 3    (Source: P.A. 88-65; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

 4        (225 ILCS 25/23) (from Ch. 111, par. 2323)
 5        Sec.  23.  Refusal,  revocation  or  suspension of dental
 6    licenses.  The Department may refuse to issue  or  renew,  or
 7    may  revoke,  suspend,  place on probation, reprimand or take
 8    other disciplinary action as the Department may deem  proper,
 9    including  fines  not  to  exceed $10,000 per violation, with
10    regard to any license for any one or any combination  of  the
11    following causes:
12        1.  Fraud in procuring the license.
13        2.  Habitual  intoxication  or  addiction  to  the use of
14    drugs.
15        3.  Wilful or repeated violations of  the  rules  of  the
16    Department of Public Health or Department of Nuclear Safety.
17        4.  Acceptance of a fee for service as a witness, without
18    the knowledge of the court, in addition to the fee allowed by
19    the court.
20        5.  Division  of  fees or agreeing to split or divide the
21    fees  received  for  dental  services  with  any  person  for
22    bringing or referring a patient, except in regard to referral
23    services as provided for under Section 45,  or  assisting  in
24    the  care or treatment of a patient, without the knowledge of
25    the patient or his legal representative.
26        6.  Employing, procuring, inducing, aiding or abetting  a
27    person  not  licensed or registered as a dentist to engage in
28    the practice of dentistry. The person practiced upon  is  not
29    an accomplice, employer, procurer, inducer, aider, or abetter
30    within the meaning of this Act.
31        7.  Making  any  misrepresentations  or  false  promises,
32    directly  or  indirectly,  to  influence,  persuade or induce
33    dental patronage.
 
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 1        8.  Professional  connection  or  association   with   or
 2    lending  his  name  to  another  for  the illegal practice of
 3    dentistry  by  another,   or   professional   connection   or
 4    association  with  any  person,  firm  or corporation holding
 5    himself, herself, themselves, or itself  out  in  any  manner
 6    contrary to this Act.
 7        9.  Obtaining  or  seeking  to obtain practice, money, or
 8    any  other  things  of   value   by   false   or   fraudulent
 9    representations,   but  not  limited  to,  engaging  in  such
10    fraudulent practice to defraud the medical assistance program
11    of the Department of Public Aid.
12        10.  Practicing under a name other than his or her own.
13        11.  Engaging    in    dishonorable,    unethical,     or
14    unprofessional  conduct  of  a  character  likely to deceive,
15    defraud, or harm the public.
16        12.  Conviction in this or another  State  of  any  crime
17    which  is a felony under the laws of this State or conviction
18    of a felony in a federal court, conviction of a  misdemeanor,
19    an essential element of which is dishonesty, or conviction of
20    any  crime  which  is  directly  related  to  the practice of
21    dentistry or dental hygiene.
22        13.  Permitting a dental hygienist, dental  assistant  or
23    other  person  under  his  or  her supervision to perform any
24    operation not authorized by this Act.
25        14.  Permitting more  than  4  dental  hygienists  to  be
26    employed under his supervision at any one time.
27        15.  A  violation  of  any  provision  of this Act or any
28    rules promulgated under this Act.
29        16.  Taking impressions for or using the services of  any
30    person, firm or corporation violating this Act.
31        17.  Violating  any  provision  of Section 45 relating to
32    advertising.
33        18.  Discipline by another U.S. jurisdiction  or  foreign
34    nation,  if at least one of the grounds for the discipline is
 
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 1    the same or  substantially  equivalent  to  those  set  forth
 2    within this Act.
 3        19.  Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected
 4    child  abuse  or  neglect  as  required  by  the  "Abused and
 5    Neglected Child Reporting Act.
 6        20.  Gross or repeated malpractice resulting in injury or
 7    death of a patient.
 8        21.  The use or prescription  for  use  of  narcotics  or
 9    controlled substances or designated products as listed in the
10    Illinois Controlled Substances Act, in any way other than for
11    therapeutic purposes.
12        22.  Willfully  making or filing false records or reports
13    in his practice as a dentist, including, but not limited  to,
14    false records to support claims against the dental assistance
15    program of the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
16        23.  Professional  incompetence  as  manifested  by  poor
17    standards  of  care  or  mental incompetency as declared by a
18    court of competent jurisdiction.
19        24.  Physical illness, including,  but  not  limited  to,
20    deterioration  through  the  aging  process, or loss of motor
21    skills which results in a  dentist's  inability  to  practice
22    dentistry with reasonable judgment, skill or safety.
23        25.  Repeated irregularities in billing a third party for
24    services  rendered  to  a  patient.   For  purposes  of  this
25    paragraph 25, "irregularities in billing" shall include:
26             (a)  Reporting  excessive charges for the purpose of
27        obtaining a total  payment  in  excess  of  that  usually
28        received by the dentist for the services rendered.
29             (b)  Reporting charges for services not rendered.
30             (c)  Incorrectly reporting services rendered for the
31        purpose of obtaining payment not earned.
32        26.  Continuing  the  active  practice of dentistry while
33    knowingly having any infectious, communicable, or  contagious
34    disease proscribed by rule or regulation of the Department.
 
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 1        27.  Being  named as a perpetrator in an indicated report
 2    by the Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to
 3    the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and upon  proof
 4    by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee has caused
 5    a  child  to be an abused child or neglected child as defined
 6    in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
 7        28.  Violating the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act.
 8        29.  Abandonment of a patient.
 9        30.  Willfully failing to report the improper  delegation
10    by a dentist of a dental hygiene procedure, function, or task
11    to  an  unlicensed person, a licensed dental hygienist, or an
12    appropriately trained dental assistant.
13        All proceedings to suspend, revoke, place on probationary
14    status,  or  take  any  other  disciplinary  action  as   the
15    Department  may  deem proper, with regard to a license on any
16    of the foregoing grounds, must be commenced  within  3  years
17    after  receipt  by the Department of a complaint alleging the
18    commission of or notice of the conviction order  for  any  of
19    the  acts  described herein.  Except for fraud in procuring a
20    license, no action shall be commenced more than 5 years after
21    the date of the incident or act alleged to have violated this
22    Section.  The time during which the holder of the license was
23    outside the State of Illinois shall not  be  included  within
24    any  period of time limiting the commencement of disciplinary
25    action by the Department.
26        The Department may refuse to issue  or  may  suspend  the
27    license  of  any person who fails to file a return, or to pay
28    the tax, penalty or interest shown in a filed return,  or  to
29    pay  any  final  assessment  of  tax, penalty or interest, as
30    required  by  any  tax  Act  administered  by  the   Illinois
31    Department of Revenue, until such time as the requirements of
32    any such tax Act are satisfied.
33    (Source: P.A.  88-65;  88-153;  88-635,  eff. 1-1-95; 88-670,
34    eff. 12-2-94; 89-116, eff. 7-7-95; revised 10-31-98.)
 
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 1        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 2    becoming law.

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