Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner

A public dental hygiene practitioner is a licensed dental hygienist with an additional certification that can perform select educational, preventive, therapeutic and intra-oral procedures in public health settings without the authorization, assignment or examination of a dentist.

• Provide oral health education and materials to individuals and communities.
• Teach proper oral hygiene practices through group or individual sessions.
• Conduct oral health screenings to detect early dental problems.
• Assess risk factors related to oral health during screenings.
• Perform preventive treatments to help reduce dental issues.
• Develop oral health programs for schools, centers, and public settings.
• Implement community-based oral health initiatives and track outcomes.

• A licensed dental hygienist who may perform educational, preventive, therapeutic and intra-oral procedures which the hygienist is educated to perform and which require the hygienist's professional competence and skill but which do not require the professional competence and skill of a dentist without the authorization, assignment or examination of a dentist, and who is certified by the state board of dentistry as having satisfied the requirements.