Office of Oral Health and Dentistry has sought to improve the lives of Nebraskans by promoting preventative oral care, particularly in young children. The department has a wide variety of tools available to the public and health professionals to promote preventative oral care.
The Public Health Authorization Permit
In 2007, the Legislature modified Section 38-1130, to authorize a licensed dental hygienist with three thousand hours of clinical experience in at least four of the preceding five calendar years to perform the following functions in the conduct of public health-related services in a public health setting or in a health care or related facility:
- Oral prophylaxis to healthy children who do not require antibiotic premedication;
- pulp vitality testing; and
- preventive measures, including the application of fluorides, sealants, and other recognized topical agents for the prevention of oral disease.
Hygienists must file an application with the department, and provide evidence of current licensure and professional liability insurance coverage, along with evidence of 3,000 hours of clinical experience.
A licensed dental hygienist performing dental hygiene functions as authorized under this subsection shall:
(i) report authorized functions performed by him or her to the department and
(ii) advise the patient or recipient of services or his or her authorized representative that such services are preventive in nature and do not constitute a comprehensive dental diagnosis and care.
Health care or related facility means a hospital, a nursing facility, an assisted-living facility, a correctional facility, a tribal clinic, or a school-based preventive health program; and
Public health setting means a federal, state, or local public health department or clinic, community health center, rural health clinic, or other similar program or agency that serves primarily public health care program recipients.
