Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 32 > Chapter 143 > Subchapter 4 - Scope of Practice; Supervision; Practice Requirements

• Board: means the Board of Dental Practice established in Title 5, section 12004?A, subsection 10. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Dental hygiene: means the delivery of preventative, educational and clinical services supporting total health for the control of oral disease and the promotion of oral health provided by a dental hygienist in accordance with this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dental hygiene diagnosis: means the identification of an existing oral health problem that a dental hygienist is qualified and licensed to treat. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dental hygienist: means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dental radiographer: means a person who holds a valid license as a dental radiographer issued by the board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dental radiography: means the use of ionizing radiation on the maxilla, mandible and adjacent structures of human beings for diagnostic purposes while under the general supervision of a dentist or an independent practice dental hygienist in accordance with this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dental therapist: means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and is authorized to practice dental therapy under this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dentist: means a person who holds a valid dentist license issued by the board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Dentistry: means the scope of practice for a dentist as described in section 18371. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Denture: means any removable full or partial upper or lower prosthetic dental appliance to be worn in the human mouth to replace any missing natural teeth. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Denturist: means a person who holds a valid denturist license issued by the board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Department: means the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Direct supervision: means the supervision required of those tasks and procedures requiring the physical presence of the supervisor in the practice setting at the time such tasks or procedures are being performed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Expanded function dental assistant: means a person who holds a valid expanded function dental assistant license issued by the board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Faculty: means , when used in conjunction with a license issued under this chapter, the authority granted to an individual who is authorized to practice only within the school setting, including any satellite locations approved by the board, and who teaches dentistry, dental hygiene or denturism as part of a clinical and didactic program. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• General supervision: means the supervision of those tasks and procedures that do not require the physical presence of the supervisor in the practice setting while procedures are being performed but do require the tasks and procedures to be performed with the prior knowledge and consent of the supervisor. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Independent practice dental hygienist: means a person who holds a valid license as a dental hygienist issued by the board and who is authorized to practice independent dental hygiene. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Limited dentist: means a dentist who has retired from the regular practice of dentistry and who holds a valid license issued by the board to practice only in a nonprofit clinic without compensation for work performed at the clinic. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Local anesthesia: means a drug, element or other material that results in a state of insensibility of a circumscribed area or the loss of sensation in some definite, localized area without inhibition of conscious processes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Nitrous oxide analgesia: means a gas containing nitrous oxide used to induce a controlled state of relative analgesia with the goal of controlling anxiety. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Practice setting: means the physical location where services authorized under this chapter are provided to the public. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Public health setting: means a place where the practice of public health dental hygiene occurs, and includes, but is not limited to, public and private schools, medical facilities, nursing homes, residential care facilities, mobile units, nonprofit organizations and community health centers. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Resident dentist license: means the authority granted to an individual who is a graduate of an approved dental school or college, who is not licensed to practice dentistry in this State and is authorized to practice under the direct or general supervision and direction of a dentist in a board-approved setting in accordance with this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302
• Supervision: means either direct supervision or general supervision as determined by the tasks and procedures that are being performed in accordance with this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 32 Sec. 18302