Any decent dentist would tell you that dental hygienists are crucial to their practice, including in Pennsylvania. Your hard work rewards you with the satisfaction of knowing how important you are to helping people stay healthy. Nevertheless, disciplinary actions against your professional license could take all that away if you’re not careful.
Don’t hesitate to take the necessary steps to protect your license. Just as with dental diseases, early intervention can make a significant difference in the outcome. With that in mind, call the LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team today at 888.535.3686 or fill out this contact form.
Who Has Authority Over Dental Hygienist Licenses in Pennsylvania?
To ensure that every licensee is properly trained in dental science and procedures, the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry oversees everything related to dental hygienist licensure.
The state does not offer separate licenses for every type of dental hygienist. However, depending on their specific experience and educational level (which can range from associate’s degrees to post-baccalaureate certifications), they generally fall into the following categories.
General Dental Hygienist
A general dental hygienist’s job is to provide basic and routine dental care to patients, such as cleanings, polishing, scaling, applying sealants, treating gum disease, and taking and interpreting dental x-rays. They also record patients’ oral and medical history and teach them important skills for taking care of their teeth at home.
Although all dental hygienists need supervision from a qualified dentist, those with seniority or ample experience may become supervisors for other hygienists. At all levels, hygienists must work with dentists to form and execute treatment plans for patients.
An associate’s degree in dental hygiene is the minimum requirement to become a general dental hygienist. More specifically, you can become either a dental hygienist (LDH) or a registered dental hygienist (RDH). Despite the different titles, they are essentially the same thing. Depending on the tasks you want to be eligible to undertake, you might need to get a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner certificate and/or a local anesthesia permit as well.
Orthodontic Dental Hygienist
Just as orthodontics is a more specialized type of dentistry, some licensed professionals end up developing a niche as orthodontic dental hygienists. They’re proficient at helping dentists with all manner of orthodontic tasks, such as assessing jaw disorders and treating teeth misalignment, especially with braces.
Periodontal Dental Hygienist
The gums and other structural features of teeth are in a field of their own as well. Dental hygienists can become experts in periodontal work, often performing tasks like root planing, measuring gum pockets and recession, examining and treating inflammation, and applying anesthesia for surgeries.
Dental Hygienist License Violations in Pennsylvania
Oral health is a medical matter, so the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry holds its dental hygienists to high standards. According to its code of ethics and regulations, dental hygienists are subject to discipline from the board for any of the following violations.
Personal or Professional Misconduct
A hygienist’s behavior reflects the reliability and integrity of the entire dental office. Hygienists are to treat every colleague, patient, and patient’s family member with respect. Reports of assault, verbal abuse, threatening statements, intimidation, exploitation, sexual relationships, substance abuse, and similar violations are often treated harshly by the board.
Acting Outside of Scope
Dental hygienists are vital to helping an office run smoothly, but they can’t replace dentists, who go through several years of highly specialized training. If a hygienist performs tasks that should be reserved for dentists, and/or works without a dentist’s approval, instruction, or supervision, the board might discipline them for endangering their colleagues, patients, and/or themselves.
Improper Drug Storage
Drugs commonly used in dentistry are safe as long as you administer and care for them properly. Since dental hygienists often play a role in storing drugs, they’re responsible for ensuring they are done correctly, which means they may also be responsible for any errors that cause the drugs to become dangerous or ineffective. Poor storage is both risky and a waste of money and resources, so hygienists can face sanctions for it.
Exposing Others to Illness or Disease
Considering the delicate and sometimes invasive medical procedures that occur regularly inside dental offices, sanitization is an indispensable duty for dental hygienists. They must comply with the board’s standards for keeping the workplace clean and healthy, as well as the FDC’s guidelines for controlling infections. Violations can quickly lead to sanctions because of how easily they may cause or spread illness.
Irresponsible Use of Ionizing Radiation
Dental offices use ionizing radiation to diagnose and treat a variety of oral sicknesses and disorders, such as bone loss, cavities, or gum disease. While it’s a helpful tool, misuse and overuse are linked to cell damage, which may cause cancer. The board advises against using ionizing radiation when it isn’t necessary and may deal severely with a dental hygienist who violates that rule.
Misrepresentation
Integrity is essential for operating a safe and effective dental care office. Dental hygienists must never misrepresent their identity, role, qualifications, services, or pricing, nor can they knowingly allow a person to misunderstand any of those things. Heavy sanctions are extremely likely for this violation.
Malpractice
Oral health—or lack thereof—can have a significant impact on a person’s overall health. There’s no room for a dental hygienist to risk a patient’s well-being by committing medical malpractice. Whether you cause harm through negligence, incompetence, or purposefully performing poorly, the board will likely show little lenience when assigning discipline.
Failing to Comply with Rules and Regulations
To create a safe, trustworthy and productive workplace, dental hygienists must adhere to a clear set of rules and regulations. This includes completing continuing education courses, renewing your license in a timely manner, following instructions provided by the board, and more. Non-compliance is grounds for sanctions.
Conviction of a Crime
Some crimes are serious enough to make the board question whether you have the moral character necessary to be an honest and dependable dental hygienist. That’s why the board might sanction your license if they discover a criminal conviction on your record, especially felonies, whether past or present.
How Does Pennsylvania Discipline Dental Hygienist License Violations?
Whenever the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry receives a complaint or violation report regarding a dental hygienist, they begin implementing a disciplinary process with the ultimate goal of deciding whether and how to sanction you. Understanding this process is a key component to crafting an effective defense strategy, so read on to know what to expect.
Official Investigation
If the complaint or violation report appears credible, the board will investigate it to better understand what happened and how guilty you are (or are not). Investigators will compile a report of their findings based on material evidence, such as photographs, videos, communications, treatment records, and employee documents, as well as witness testimonies, victim statements, and expert analyses.
Formal Hearing
Once the board concludes the investigation and evaluates the report, they’ll summon you for a formal hearing. This is the most appropriate opportunity for you to cross-examine witnesses or present evidence that the board hadn’t considered yet. You can also go into depth explaining any mitigating factors influencing the violation or accusation against you. The LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can guide you in what to say and advocate on your behalf, using their extensive knowledge of dentistry and professional licensing laws to bring the board to your side.
Adjudication
With the investigation and hearing complete, all that’s left is for the board to decide how to adjudicate. Ideally, they’ll dismiss the complaint and declare you innocent, or at least not guilty enough to warrant punishment. However, if they opt to discipline you, these are the possibilities.
Reprimands or Censures
The lightest sanction you could hope to receive is simply a written statement describing your wrongdoing and how the board expects you to improve. Known as a reprimand or censure, this statement doesn’t require anything further from you.
Nevertheless, reprimands and censures are public record, so you may have trouble obtaining new jobs or promotions if your potential employers look them up. You’ll have better luck advancing your career without this sanction.
Civil Penalties
Perhaps the board will decide that they need to send a stronger message to discourage you from reoffending. They might like to help cover the expenses of investigations and operations, too. A civil penalty kills two birds with one stone, allowing the board to demand up to $1,000 for your violation.
Multiple violations can add up quickly. Imagine owing several thousand dollars to the board and struggling to pay your bills, or paying for the continuing education courses you’re required to take to avoid even more sanctions. For the sake of your finances and career aspirations, try to avoid this sanction.
License Restrictions
With license restrictions, the good news is that you get to keep your professional license. The bad news is that the restrictions severely limit your authority and options.
For instance, if you’re only allowed to perform specific tasks, you won’t get to master new skills or retain existing ones. If you cannot work outside of certain times or places, your personal life might suffer as you arrange everything around that schedule. Try to keep your license as clear of restrictions as possible.
License Suspension
To the board, temporary breaks called suspensions might seem like the most logical disciplinary actions. You won’t be legally able to work as a dental hygienist until you meet certain requirements and/or wait out a predetermined amount of time.
Until then, you might struggle to make ends meet, and you’d be up with a gap in both your skills and employment history that could affect your eligibility for hire in new jobs or promotions. Do everything you can to prevent this sanction.
License Revocation
The most egregious and/or repeated offenses may convince the board to revoke your license. In other words, you’d be barred from practicing as a dental hygienist permanently, unless you successfully apply for reinstatement after five years. Even then, you’d likely have to pay higher application fees and submit to closer scrutiny than ever. Also, as with suspensions, employers might not look kindly on such a long break in your employment history.
You’d also have to find another way to support yourself for half a decade, so you might bring in less income than before. Avoiding this sanction would spare you a lot of stress and the long-lasting repercussions of career interruptions and financial hardship.
Impaired Professional Program
The Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry strives to take a more compassionate and constructive approach to violations influenced by addictions to sex and/or substances like drugs and alcohol. As part of your disciplinary assignment, they might require you to complete an Impaired Professional Program so that you can return to work with a clearer mind and cleaner body.
How Can the LLF National Law Firm Help You?
You should have a legal team that will treat your professional license with the utmost care that you strive to give your patients. After all, just as with oral health, your case with the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry can affect everything else in your life.
The LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team understands what’s at stake. They also know that your situation is unique and requires a thoughtful yet powerful approach. Let them combine their proven defense strategies with your particular needs and goals so that you get the best possible outcome.
Have the Career You Deserve as a Dental Hygienist in Pennsylvania
Healthy teeth are vital to every person’s overall health, so your job as a dental hygienist will always have great value in Pennsylvania. Ask yourself if you’re willing to do everything possible to protect your license so that you don’t have to give up this important career. If the answer is yes, then contact the LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or fill out this contact form to schedule a consultation.