5-31.1-6.1. Dental hygienists and dental assistants.

Dentists licensed pursuant to § 5-31.1-6 may supervise and delegate to any dental hygienist

licensed pursuant to § 5-31.1-6, working under the dentist’s general supervision and who is

employed on a regular basis by such dentists, any procedures that he or she may deem advisable;

including initial oral-health-screening assessments and other procedures specified under section 13

(or any comparable or successor section) of the rules and regulations pertaining to dentists and

dental hygienists promulgated from time to time by the department of health , and any . Dental

hygienists may prescribe, administer, and dispense fluoride supplements, topical anticaries

treatments, and topical antimicrobials including, but not limited to, chlorhexidine, for preventive

dental purposes as determined by the board. Any such dental hygienists may engage in the practice

of dental hygiene under the responsibility of the supervising dentists outside of the dentists’ office

in order to render to residents of nursing facilities licensed pursuant to chapter 17 of title 23,

whether or not such residents are patients of record of the supervising dentist, without the on-site

direct supervision of a dentist licensed pursuant to § 5-31.1-6, those dental services, procedures,

and duties that he or she has been educated to perform and that are authorized by the board of

examiners in dentistry. Dental hygienists working under general supervision in nursing facilities

shall provide documentation of initial oral health screening assessments to the supervising dentist

and to the licensed nursing facility for appropriate follow-up assessment and treatment, as needed.