Oregon Statutes 679.618 – Collaborative agreement required to practice dental therapy; required provisions; duties of dentist
(1) A dental therapist may practice dental therapy only under the supervision of a dentist and pursuant to a collaborative agreement with the dentist that outlines the supervision logistics and requirements for the dental therapist’s practice. The collaborative agreement must include at least the following information:
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 679.618
- Dental therapist: means a person licensed to practice dental therapy under ORS § 679. See Oregon Statutes 679.010
- Dental therapy: means the provision of preventive dental care, restorative dental treatment and other educational, clinical and therapeutic patient services as part of a dental care team, including the services described under ORS § 679. See Oregon Statutes 679.010
- Dentist: means a person who may perform any intraoral or extraoral procedure required in the practice of dentistry. See Oregon Statutes 679.010
- Dentistry: means the healing art concerned with:
(A) The examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment, care and prevention of conditions within the human oral cavity and maxillofacial region, and of conditions of adjacent or related tissues and structures; and
(B) The prescribing, dispensing and administering of prescription drugs for purposes related to the activities described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. See Oregon Statutes 679.010
- General supervision: means supervision requiring that a dentist authorize the procedures by standing orders, practice agreements or collaboration agreements, but not requiring that a dentist be present when the authorized procedures are performed. See Oregon Statutes 679.010
(a) The level of supervision required for each procedure performed by the dental therapist;
(b) Circumstances under which the prior knowledge and consent of the dentist is required to allow the dental therapist to provide a certain service or perform a certain procedure;
(c) The practice settings in which the dental therapist may provide care;
(d) Any limitation on the care the dental therapist may provide;
(e) Patient age-specific and procedure-specific practice protocols, including case selection criteria, assessment guidelines and imaging frequency;
(f) Procedures for creating and maintaining dental records for patients treated by the dental therapist;
(g) Guidelines for the management of medical emergencies in each of the practice settings in which the dental therapist provides care;
(h) A quality assurance plan for monitoring care provided by the dental therapist, including chart review, patient care review and referral follow-up;
(i) Protocols for the dispensation and administration of drugs, as described in ORS § 679.621, by the dental therapist, including circumstances under which the dental therapist may dispense and administer drugs;
(j) Criteria for the provision of care to patients with specific medical conditions or complex medical histories, including any requirements for consultation with the dentist prior to the provision of care; and
(k) Protocols for when a patient requires treatment outside the dental therapist’s scope of practice, including for referral of the patient for evaluation and treatment by the dentist, a physician licensed under ORS Chapter 677, a nurse practitioner licensed under ORS § 678.375 to 678.390 or other licensed health care provider.
(2) In addition to the information described in subsection (1) of this section, a collaborative agreement must include a provision that requires the dental therapist to consult with a dentist if the dental therapist intends to perform an irreversible surgical procedure under general supervision on a patient who has a severe systemic disease.
(3) A dentist who enters into a collaborative agreement with a dental therapist shall:
(a) Directly provide care to a patient that is outside the scope of practice of the dental therapist or arrange for the provision of care by another dentist; and
(b) Ensure that the dentist, or another dentist, is available to the dental therapist for timely communication during the dental therapist’s provision of care to a patient.
(4) A dental therapist may perform and provide only those procedures and services authorized by the dentist and set out in the collaborative agreement, and shall maintain with the dentist an appropriate level of contact, as determined by the dentist.
(5) A dental therapist and a dentist who enter into a collaborative agreement together shall each maintain a physical copy of the collaborative agreement.
(6)(a) A dental therapist may enter into collaborative agreements with more than one dentist if each collaborative agreement includes the same supervision requirements and scope of practice.
(b) A dentist may supervise and enter into collaborative agreements with up to three dental therapists at any one time.
(7)(a) A collaborative agreement must be signed by the dentist and dental therapist.
(b) A dental therapist shall annually submit a signed copy of the collaborative agreement to the Oregon Board of Dentistry. If the collaborative agreement is revised in between annual submissions, a signed copy of the revised collaborative agreement must be submitted to the board as soon as practicable after the revision is made. [2021 c.530 § 8]