Are you allowed to do that? Why dental assistants must know their allowable duties
Do you want to know if there’s more you can do in your dental office? Or have you ever wondered if you’re allowed to perform certain duties you’re being asked to do by your doctor? In many cases, there are no hard-and-fast answers that apply to every dental assistant in the U.S. since every state has its own regulations. Each state dental board has requirements for dental assistants when it comes to education, credentials, and job titles. There are also differences in the duties dental assistants are and aren’t allowed to perform from state to state.
As the profession continues to face workforce shortages, many dental assistants are being asked to do more than ever before. That makes it all the more important for you and your dentist to know the duties you’re allowed to perform in your state. While dental assistants perform many duties, there is a limit to what they can do. Here are a few reasons why it’s imperative to know your scope of practice as a dental assistant.
Patient safety
Patients entrust their care to you and everyone in the dental office. They expect and deserve to receive competent and safe treatment from qualified, well-trained professionals. If anyone in the dental office performs duties they haven’t been trained for, aren’t allowed to do without supervision, or aren’t within their scope of practice, it increases the chances of mistakes being made and puts patient safety at risk. When errors are made, it can also leave patients dissatisfied with their treatment, even if they aren’t harmed. At minimum, these outcomes can damage trust with patients and negatively affect the reputation of the dental practice and staff.
Legality
There can be ramifications for dental assistants who perform duties not allowed by their states. When a violation occurs and gets reported, the dental assistant, dentist, and practice may be investigated by their state dental board and face disciplinary action. Serious violations may result in fines, termination, or even malpractice lawsuits. In states that provide dental assisting licensure, assistants can potentially have their licenses suspended or revoked, depending on the severity of the violation. Dentists can face a similar penalty.
To avoid these potential consequences, it’s critical for every dental professional to know what they’re allowed to do and whether they need supervision from a dentist to perform a certain task. Every practice should also communicate scope-of-practice regulations, provide ongoing training, and set clear protocols for each team member. It can be helpful to monitor DANB’s State of the States reports(opens in a new window), which are published multiple times per year, for regulatory changes in your state.
If you are being asked to perform duties prohibited for a dental assistant in your state, you can politely decline and point your doctor or supervisor to the “allowable and prohibited duties” link for your state on DANB’s website. You may also want to clarify exactly what you’re being asked to do to ensure there’s no miscommunication or misunderstanding. If you’re still pressed to perform a prohibited duty, you can report the incident to your state dental board or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)(opens in a new window).
Professional development
There are also positive aspects to knowing what duties you’re allowed to perform as a dental assistant. If you want to grow in your career and increase your value to your practice, learning and taking on new responsibilities is a great way to accomplish those goals. For example, some states have pathways for you to become an expanded functions dental assistant (although the job title varies from state to state). This could allow you to carry out additional duties such as performing coronal polishing, taking impressions, monitoring nitrous oxide, placing sealants, or scaling.
Again, note that what’s allowed in one state may be prohibited in another. Placing pit and fissure sealants, for instance, is allowed for dental assistants qualified in expanded functions in Illinois. However, in Alabama, placing pit and fissure sealants is prohibited for dental assistants. When in doubt, always check your state requirements!