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Chapter DE 17
PRACTICE OF DENTAL THERAPY
DE 17.01   Definitions.
DE 17.02   Scope of practice.
DE 17.03   Dentist supervision of dental therapists.
DE 17.04   Dental therapist employment.
DE 17.05   Dental therapist supervision of other dental staff.
DE 17.01DE 17.01 Definitions. In this chapter:
DE 17.01(1)(1) “Dental health shortage area” has the meaning given in s. 36.60 (1) (ad), Stats.
DE 17.01(2)(2) “Direct supervision” means that the supervising dentist or supervising dental therapist is present in the dental office or other practice setting, personally diagnoses the condition to be treated, personally authorizes each procedure, and, before dismissal of the patient, evaluates the performance of the supervised dental personnel.
DE 17.01(3)(3) “General supervision” means that the supervising dentist is not present in the dental office or other practice setting or on the premises at the time tasks or procedures are being performed by the supervised dental personnel, but that the tasks or procedures performed by the supervised dental personnel are being performed with the prior knowledge and consent of the dentist.
DE 17.01(4)(4) “Indirect supervision” means that the supervising dentist is present in the dental office or other practice setting, authorizes each procedure, and remains in the office while the procedures are being performed by the supervised dental personnel.
DE 17.01(5)(5) “Medical Assistance patient” means a patient who is a recipient of services under the Medical Assistance program under subch. IV of ch. 49, Stats.
DE 17.01(6)(6) “Supervising dentist” means a licensed dentist supervising a dental therapist under a collaborative management agreement described in s. DE 17.03 (5).
DE 17.01(7)(7) “Uninsured patient” means a patient who lacks dental health coverage, either through a public health care program or private insurance, and has an annual gross family income equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
DE 17.01 HistoryHistory: EmR2410: emerg. cr., eff. 7-26-24; CR 24-094: cr. Register July 2025 No. 835, eff. 8-1-25; correction in (2) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2025 No. 835.
DE 17.02DE 17.02 Scope of practice.
DE 17.02(1)(1) The scope of practice of a dental therapist shall, subject to the terms of a collaborative management agreement, be limited to providing the following services, treatments, and procedures:
DE 17.02(1)(a)(a) Oral evaluation and assessment of dental disease and formulation of an individualized treatment plan.
DE 17.02(1)(b)(b) Identification of oral and systemic conditions requiring evaluation or treatment by dentists, physicians, or other health care providers and managing referrals.
DE 17.02(1)(c)(c) Comprehensive charting of the oral cavity.
DE 17.02(1)(d)(d) Oral health instruction and disease prevention education, including nutritional counseling and dietary analysis.
DE 17.02(1)(e)(e) Exposure and evaluation of radiographic images.
DE 17.02(1)(f)(f) Dental prophylaxis, including subgingival scaling and polishing procedures.
DE 17.02(1)(g)(g) Dispensing and administration via the oral or topical route of nonnarcotic analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic medications as prescribed by a licensed health care provider.
DE 17.02(1)(h)(h) Application of topical preventive or prophylactic agents, including fluoride varnish, antimicrobial agents, caries arresting medicaments, and pit and fissure sealants.
DE 17.02(1)(i)(i) Pulp vitality testing.
DE 17.02(1)(j)(j) Application of desensitizing medications or resins.
DE 17.02(1)(k)(k) Fabrication of athletic mouth guards and soft occlusal guards.
DE 17.02(1)(L)(L) Changing of periodontal dressings.
DE 17.02(1)(m)(m) Administration of local anesthetic and nitrous oxide.
DE 17.02(1)(n)(n) Simple extraction of erupted primary teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(o)(o) Nonsurgical extraction of periodontally diseased permanent teeth with tooth mobility of +3 to +4 to the extent authorized in the dental therapist's collaborative management agreement, except for the extraction of a tooth that is unerupted, impacted, or fractured or that needs to be sectioned for removal.
DE 17.02(1)(p)(p) Emergency palliative treatment of dental pain limited to the procedures in this subsection.
DE 17.02(1)(q)(q) Preparation and placement of direct restoration in primary and permanent teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(r)(r) Fabrication and placement of single-tooth temporary crowns.
DE 17.02(1)(s)(s) Preparation and placement of preformed crowns on primary teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(t)(t) Indirect and direct pulp capping on permanent teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(u)(u) Indirect pulp capping on primary teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(v)(v) Intraoral suture placement and removal.
DE 17.02(1)(w)(w) Minor adjustment and repair of removable prostheses.
DE 17.02(1)(x)(x) Placement and removal of space maintainers.
DE 17.02(1)(y)(y) Pulpotomy on primary teeth.
DE 17.02(1)(z)(z) Tooth reimplantation and stabilization.
DE 17.02(1)(za)(za) Recementing of a permanent crown.
DE 17.02(1)(zb)(zb) The performance of dental hygiene, as defined in s. 447.01 (3), Stats.
DE 17.02(2)(2) Notwithstanding sub. (1), a dental therapist shall, except as provided in sub. (3), limit his or her practice of dental therapy to providing the services, treatments, and procedures covered by his or her dental therapy education program.
DE 17.02(3)(3) If any service, treatment, or procedure under sub. (1) was not covered by a dental therapist's dental therapy education program, the dental therapist may provide that service, treatment, or procedure if the dental therapist has subsequently received additional dental therapy educational training to provide that service, treatment, or procedure.
DE 17.02 HistoryHistory: EmR2410: emerg. cr., eff. 7-26-24; CR 24-094: cr. Register July 2025 No. 835, eff. 8-1-25; correction in (1) (p) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register July 2025 No. 835.
DE 17.03DE 17.03 Dentist supervision of dental therapists.
DE 17.03(1)(1) Except as provided in sub. (2), a dental therapist licensed under ch. DE 2 may provide dental therapy services in this state only under the direct supervision or indirect supervision of a supervising dentist.
DE 17.03(2)(2) 
DE 17.03(2)(a)(a) Once a dental therapist licensed under ch. DE 2 has provided dental therapy services for at least 2,000 hours under direct supervision or indirect supervision, the dental therapist may provide dental therapy services in this state under the general supervision of a supervising dentist, subject to the terms of a collaborative management agreement described in sub. (5).
DE 17.03(2)(b)(b) For purposes of the 2,000 hours requirement under par. (a), hours may include hours of providing dental therapy services in this state under direct supervision or indirect supervision of a supervising dentist as described in sub. (1) or hours of providing dental therapy services under direct supervision or indirect supervision while licensed as a dental therapist outside this state, but may not include any hours completed prior to graduating from the dental therapy education program.
DE 17.03(3)(3) Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2), the level of supervision for a dental therapist may be further limited under the terms of a collaborative management agreement under sub. (5).
DE 17.03(4)(4) A supervising dentist shall accept responsibility for all services performed by a dental therapist pursuant to a collaborative management agreement described in sub. (5). If services needed by a patient are beyond the dental therapist's scope of practice or authorization under the collaborative management agreement, the dental therapist shall, to the extent required under the collaborative management agreement, consult with the supervising dentist as needed to arrange for those services to be provided by a dentist or another qualified health care provider.
DE 17.03(5)(5) Prior to providing any dental therapy services, a dental therapist shall enter into a written collaborative management agreement with a licensed dentist who will serve as a supervising dentist under the requirements of this chapter. The dentist must be licensed in this state and must be actively involved in direct patient care in this state, to the satisfaction of the board. The agreement must be signed by the dental therapist and the supervising dentist and address all of the following:
DE 17.03(5)(a)(a) The practice settings where services may be provided and the patient populations that may be served.
DE 17.03(5)(b)(b) Consistent with and subject to s. DE 17.02 and subs. (1) to (4), any conditions or limitations on the services that may be provided by the dental therapist, the level of supervision required, and any circumstances requiring consultation with the supervising dentist prior to performing services.
DE 17.03(5)(c)(c) Age-specific and procedure-specific practice protocols.
DE 17.03(5)(d)(d) Dental record-keeping procedures.
DE 17.03(5)(e)(e) Plans for managing dental or medical emergencies.
DE 17.03(5)(f)(f) A quality assurance plan for monitoring care provided by the dental therapist.
DE 17.03(5)(g)(g) Protocols for administering and dispensing medications.
DE 17.03(5)(h)(h) Criteria or protocols relating to the provision of care to patients with specific medical conditions, treatments, or medications.
DE 17.03(5)(i)(i) Policies relating to supervision of dental hygienists and other staff.
DE 17.03(5)(j)(j) A plan for the referral of patients to other dental or health care providers or clinics when services needed are beyond the scope of practice or authorization of the dental therapist.
DE 17.03(5)(k)(k) Whether and to what extent the dental therapist may perform services described in s. DE 17.02 (1) (o).
DE 17.03(6)(6) A collaborative management agreement shall be limited to covering one supervising dentist and one dental therapist.
DE 17.03(7)(7) A dental therapist may enter into multiple collaborative management agreements.
DE 17.03(8)(8) No supervising dentist may have collaborative management agreements with more than 4 dental therapists at any time.
DE 17.03 HistoryHistory: EmR2410: emerg. cr., eff. 7-26-24; CR 24-094: cr. Register July 2025 No. 835, eff. 8-1-25; correction in (5) (k) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2025 No. 835.
DE 17.04DE 17.04 Dental therapist employment.
DE 17.04(1)(1) A dental therapist may, subject to sub. (3), provide dental therapy services only as an employee of one or more of the following that satisfies sub. (2):
DE 17.04(1)(a)(a) A dentist with whom the dental therapist has entered into a collaborative management agreement.
DE 17.04(1)(b)(b) A dental practice.
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Published under s. 35.93, Stats. Updated on the first day of each month. Entire code is always current. The Register date on each page is the date the chapter was last published.