Any dentist practicing in the State of Florida or dental hygienist administering local anesthesia must notify the Board in writing by registered mail within forty-eight hours of any mortality or other adverse occurrence that occurs in the dentist’s outpatient facility. A complete written report shall be filed with the Board within thirty (30) days of the mortality or other adverse occurrence. The mailing address is:

Department of Health
Board of Dentistry
4052 Bald Cypress Way, #C-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258

Adverse occurrence – means any mortality that occurs during or as the result of a dental procedure, or an incident that results in the temporary or permanent physical or mental injury that requires hospitalization or emergency room treatment of a dental patient that occurred during or as a direct result of the use of general anesthesia, deep sedation,
conscious sedation, pediatric conscious sedation, oral sedation, minimal sedation (anxiolysis), nitrous oxide, or local anesthesia.

A Florida licensed dental hygienist, under the direct supervision of a dentist may administer local anesthesia to a non-sedated patient who is 18 years of age or older. Dental hygienists must complete a course in the administration of local anesthesia which is offered by a dental or dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The course must include a minimum of 30 hours of didactic instruction and 30 hours of clinical experience and instruction in subject areas as specified in s. 466.017(5)(a), Florida Statutes.

No, in-office bleaching is not a delegable task. Please see Rules 64B5-16.005 and 64B5-16.006, Florida Administrative Code, for a list of delegable tasks.

Yes, a dental hygienist may, under the direct supervision of a Florida licensed dentist, apply bleaching solution, activate light source, monitor and remove in-office bleaching materials. Please see Rule 64B5-16.006, Florida Administrative Code, for a list of delegable tasks.

The rule does not relieve a licensee from the obligation to obtain training required by ss. 456.013(7), 456.031 and 456.033, Florida Statutes, as a condition of license renewal. These requirements include a course in HIV/AIDS no later than the first license renewal, a two hour course relating to prevention of medical errors each biennium and domestic violence every third biennium.

Listed below are the instances in which a licensee may be exempt from continuing
education requirements:

Dentist:

• exempt during the biennium in which they receive initial licensure;
• if enrolled in a post-graduate specialty training or residency program at a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation;

or

• serving as full-time faculty members at a dental, dental hygiene or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission of Dental Accreditation.

Dental Hygienist:

• exempt during the biennium in which they receive initial licensure;
• enrolled full-time in an academic program directly related to dentistry or dental hygiene;

or

• serving as full-time faculty members at a dental, hygiene school or dental assisting school accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Agenda items must be submitted to the board of dentistry office at least 30 days prior to any board meeting.