Which duties is a dental hygienist restricted from performing in an affiliated practice?

In an affiliated dental practice, a dental hygienist is restricted from performing certain duties that are considered to require a higher level of training or are not within the typical scope of practice for a hygienist. Root planing, which involves the deep cleaning of the teeth and the smoothing of the root surfaces to help with gum disease, is one such procedure. It is often performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist and requires a nuanced understanding of periodontal conditions and treatment planning.

The reason this restriction exists is to ensure that dental hygienists operate within their defined scope of practice, which is established by state laws and regulations. While dental hygienists are trained to perform a variety of procedures, including preventive care techniques, more complex interventions such as root planing often fall under the responsibility of the dentist, who has the overall authority regarding diagnosis and treatment planning.

In contrast, tasks like patient education, documenting patient history, and teeth whitening procedures can generally be performed by dental hygienists, as these duties are considered part of their training and scope of practice.