Things Assistants Can Not Do...

A dental assistant in the state of Utah may perform basic supportive dental procedures under the supervision of a licensed dentist. Click here for a full documentation. Last updated Feb 1, 2012.

• All dental assistants must have current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification.
• All dental assistants and hygienist must be Hepatitis B vaccinated. The office will pay for this if needed.

• Assistants must be certified to take x-rays. This class is offered every year at the UDA Convention $10. For details click the link above.
• Certification can also be completed by taking a DANB exam at a Pearson VUE test center for $175, 100 questions, 75 minute exam. Application for the exam can be found by clicking here. Look for the section on Radiation Health & Safety (RHS).

 

Assistants Can Not:

• Place, condense, carve, finish or polish restorative materials, or perform final cementations.
• Render definitive treatment diagnosis.
• Cut hard or soft tissue or extract teeth.
• Remove stains, deposits or accretions (except as is incidental to polishing teeth coronally with a rubber cup).
• Initially introduce nitrous oxide and oxygen to a patient for the purpose of establishing and recording a safe plane of analgesia for the patient (except under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist).
• Remove bonded materials from the teeth with a rotary dental instrument or use any rotary dental instrument within the oral cavity (except to polish teeth coronally with a rubber cup).
• Take jaw registrations or oral impressions for supplying artificial teeth as substitutes for natural teeth (except for diagnostic or opposing models for the fabrication of temporary or provisional restorations or appliances).
• Correct or attempt to correct the malposition or malocclusion of teeth, or make an adjustment that will result in the movement of teeth upon an appliance which is worn in the mouth.
• Perform sub-gingival instrumentation.
• Render decisions concerning the use of drugs, their dosage, or prescription.