New DANB Guides Update Dental Assisting Regulations Flow Chart for Indiana.

1. These data are presented for informational purposes only and are not
intended as a legal opinion regarding dental practice in any state. DANB
confers with each state’s dental board at least annually regarding the
accuracy and currency of this information. To verify, or if you have any
questions, please contact your state’s dental board.
Measuring Dental Assisting Excellence®
How To Use The Following Charts
Be sure
to follow
the legal
View requirements
which job to perform
designations dental
are used in radiographic See which tasks are not
Chart 1 your state. procedures. permitted by state law.



Review all the
allowable tasks
for each level of
dental assisting as
published in the state
practice act.
Chart 2

View the

education/
training/
credential
required for
each level
of dental
assisting.
The numbers next to
each task correspond to
the 70 numbered tasks
that were identified and
used in the DANB/ADAA

Core Competency
Study. Tasks that are
not numbered do not
directly match one of
the 70 tasks, yet are
identified by the state in
the practice act. A full


list of those tasks follow
your state’s chart.
Compare your state’s job
designations to those
used as standardized job
titles in the DANB/ADAA
Core Competency Study.

If your state’s dental practice act specifically
defines levels of supervision, the state-specific
definition is noted in the template.
© 2011 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.

2. Dental Assisting Functions List
The following is a list of 70 dental assisting tasks developed by the ADAA/DANB Alliance
in the course of its research. These selected tasks were determined to be representative
of a broad range of dental assisting core competencies.
Functions in each state that correspond to the national Core Competencies Study functions
are numbered in the Career Ladder Template, using language directly from the state’s dental
practice act. Functions listed with bullets in the Career Ladder Template are part of the state’s
practice act but are not specific matches to DANB research.
1. Perform mouth mirror inspection 27. Place and remove dental dam 54. Remove temporary crowns and
of the oral cavity 28. Pour, trim, and evaluate the cements
2. Chart existing restorations or quality of diagnostic casts 55. Remove temporary fillings
conditions 29. Size and place orthodontic bands 56. Apply topical anesthetic to the
3. Phone in prescriptions at the and brackets injection site
direction of the dentist 30. Using the concepts of four- 57. Demonstrate understanding of
4. Receive and prepare patients for handed dentistry, assist with the Centers for Disease Control
treatment, including seating, basic restorative procedures, and Prevention Guidelines
positioning chair, and placing including prosthodontics and 58. Using the concepts of four-
napkin restorative dentistry handed dentistry, assist with
5. Complete laboratory 31. Identify intraoral anatomy basic intraoral surgical
authorization forms 32. Demonstrate understanding of procedures, including
6. Place and remove retraction cord the OSHA Hazard extractions, periodontics,
7. Perform routine maintenance of Communication Standard endodontics, and implants
dental equipment 33. Place, cure and finish composite 59. Monitor nitrous oxide/oxygen
8. Monitor and respond to post- resin restorations analgesia
surgical bleeding 34. Place liners and bases 60. Maintain emergency kit
9. Perform coronal polishing 35. Place periodontal dressings 61. Remove permanent cement
procedures 36. Demonstrate understanding of from supragingival surfaces
10. Apply effective communication the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens 62. Remove periodontal dressings
techniques with a variety of Standard 63. Place post-extraction dressings
patients 37. Take and record vital signs 64. Fabricate custom trays, to
11. Transfer dental instruments 38. Monitor vital signs include impression and
12. Place amalgam for condensation 39. Clean and polish removable bleaching trays, and athletic
by the dentist appliances and prostheses mouthguards
13. Remove sutures 40. Apply pit and fissure sealants 65. Recognize basic medical
14. Dry canals 41. Prepare procedural trays/ emergencies
15. Tie in archwires armamentaria set-ups 66. Recognize basic dental
16. Demonstrate knowledge of ethics/ 42. Place orthodontic separators emergencies
jurisprudence/patient confidentiality 43. Size and fit stainless steel crowns 67. Respond to basic medical
17. Identify features of rotary 44. Take preliminary impressions emergencies
instruments 45. Place and remove matrix bands 68. Respond to basic dental
18. Apply topical fluoride 46. Take final impressions emergencies
19. Select and manipulate gypsums 47. Fabricate and place temporary 69. Remove post-extraction
and waxes crowns dressings
20. Perform supragingival scaling 48. Maintain field of operation 70. Place stainless steel crown
21. Mix dental materials during dental procedures through
22. Expose radiographs the use of retraction, suction,
23. Evaluate radiographs for irrigation, drying, placing and
diagnostic quality removing cotton rolls, etc.
24. Provide patient preventive 49. Perform vitality tests
education and oral hygiene 50. Place temporary fillings
instruction 51. Carve amalgams
25. Perform sterilization and 52. Process dental radiographs
disinfection procedures 53. Mount and label dental
26. Provide pre- and post-operative radiographs
instructions

3. Levels of Supervision
An important consideration in the discussion of the delegation of tasks to dental
assistants is that of supervision of dental assistants by their dentist-employers.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has identified four levels of supervision for
dental auxiliaries, including dental assistants, which it defines in its “Comprehensive
Policy Statement on Allied Dental Personnel,” (2006: 307) which is part of its Current
Policies, last updated in 2007. Note that “allied dental personnel” refers to dental
assistants, dental hygienists and dental laboratory technicians.
The four levels of supervision defined by the ADA are as follows:
Personal supervision: A dentist is personally operating on a patient and authorizes
the allied dental personnel to aid treatment by concurrently performing a supportive
procedure.
Direct supervision: A dentist is in the dental office or treatment facility, personally
diagnoses the condition to be treated, personally authorizes the procedures, and
remains in the dental office or treatment facility while the procedures are being
performed by the allied dental personnel and, before dismissal of the patient,
evaluates the performance of the allied dental personnel.
Indirect supervision: A dentist is in the dental office or treatment facility, has
personally diagnosed the condition to be treated, authorizes the procedures, and
remains in the dental office or treatment facility while the procedures are being
performed by the allied dental personnel, and will evaluate the performance of the
allied dental personnel.
General supervision: A dentist is not required to be in the dental office or treatment
facility when procedures are being performed by the allied dental personnel, but
has personally diagnosed the condition to be treated, has personally authorized
the procedures and will evaluate the performance of the allied dental personnel.
Furthermore, the ADA’s Comprehensive Policy Statement on Allied Dental Personnel
stipulates that intraoral expanded functions should be performed by allied dental
personnel “only under the direct supervision of a dentist.”
Because the study of dental assisting core competencies undertaken by the ADAA/
DANB Alliance did not address the question of supervision, the ADAA/DANB Alliance
does not make any recommendations as to the levels of supervision that should be
necessary for the delegation of the tasks included in the study to dental assistants.
However, the ADAA/DANB Alliance believes it is important to call attention to the
fact that, while the ADA has defined supervision levels in the aforementioned policy
statement, which governs the ADA’s own activities and the activities of its members,
these definitions have not been uniformly adopted by the dental boards of every
U.S. state or district.
For the purposes of this volume, if a state’s dental practice act specifically
defines levels of supervision, the state-specific definition is noted in the
template.
Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB)
444 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 900
Chicago, IL 60611
1-800-367-3262 or 312-642-3368
Measuring Dental Fax: 312-642-1475
Assisting Excellence® www.danb.org • danbmail@danb.org
© 2011 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.

4. Indiana
State-approved 1/1/11
Reviewed by DANB 1/1/11
Job Title Proposed
Education/Training/ Standardized Radiography Functions NOT Permitted
Credential Required According to by Dental Assistants in IN
State of IN National Job Requirements
Titles
(see below)
To legally operate dental x-ray
Note: The legislature of Indiana equipment and perform dental
passed a law in 2008, House radiographic procedures in the state The following functions are not
© 2011 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.
Bill 1172, that recognizes dental of Indiana, a dental assistant must permitted by any level of dental
assistants. The Indiana State obtain a limited dental radiographic assistant:
Board of Dentistry is currently license from the Indiana State
drafting the Indiana Administra- Expanded
Functions Department of Health/Division of • Diagnosis and treatment
tive Code rules to implement
changes to the Dental Practice Dental Medical Radiology Services. planning
Act. Assistant • Cutting of hard or soft tissues
(EFDA) To obtain this license, one must: • Any intraoral impression
which would lead to the
Dental fabrication of a final prosthetic
Assistant  Successfully complete a
Preliminarily: CODA-accredited program appliance
qualified • Removing calcific deposits or
in coronal in radiography
To perform coronal polishing OR accretions from the surfaces
polishing/ of human teeth or cleaning
procedures in the state of Indiana Dental Successfully complete an Indiana
under the direct supervision of a Board-approved program in or polishing such teeth
Assistant (except coronal polishing,
licensed dentist, a dental assistant qualified in radiography
must: AND THEN as permitted by meeting the
fluoride requirements)
administra-  Be certified by a licensed
 Successfully complete a practitioner or licensed dental • Applying and using within
tion DANB the patient’s mouth such
board-approved curriculum for hygienist in an approved
Certified educational program as proficient antiseptic sprays, washes or
polishing the coronal surface Dental
of teeth in performing the procedures medicaments for the control
Assistant included in the limited dental or prevention of dental
(CDA) curriculum caries (except for applying
To administer fluoride in the or
state of Indiana under the direct AND THEN medicaments, as permitted by
Registered  Pass one (1) or more of the meeting the requirements)
supervision of a licensed dentist, a Dental
dental assistant must: following examinations: • Treating gum disease
Assistant (a) The national DANB Certified • Using impressions and x-ray
(RDA) Dental Assistant (CDA) exam photographs for treatment
 Successfully complete a
board-approved curriculum for (b) The national DANB Radiation purposes
applying medicaments for the Health and Safety (RHS) exam • Administering local dental
control or prevention of dental (c) An exam approved by the IN anesthetics
caries State Department of
Health/ Division of Medical
Radiology Services
AND THEN
 Apply to the IN State Department
of Health/Division of Medical
Radiology Services for a limited
dental radiographic license
Note: The IN State Department of
Health also issues student dental
radiography permits and provisional
Dental radiography permits.
Assistant  The ADAA/DANB Alliance
developed a listing of
standardized job titles (left)
based on its national Core
Competencies Study conducted from
2002-2005.
A dental assistant in the state of
Indiana may perform basic sup- The same study utilized a list of 70
portive dental procedures specified job functions which were determined
by the state dental practice act Dental to be representative of a broad
(see opposite page) under the Assistant range of dental assisting core

supervision of a licensed dentist. competencies.
There are no education or training Functions in this state
requirements for this level of dental that relate to the national
assisting, except for radiography DANB/ADAA Core Competencies
requirements. Study are numbered to the right,
using language directly from this
state’s dental practice act. (The
numbers correspond to the study’s
task numbering system.)
Entry
Level Functions listed with bullets are part
Dental of this state’s practice act but are
Assistant not specific matches to DANB/ADAA
research.
These state templates reflect the
work being done by the ADAA/
DANB Alliance to support a
uniform national model for one
set of dental assisting tasks,
levels and requirements, which
will serve as a viable career
ladder for dental assistants.
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5. Indiana State-approved 1/1/11
Reviewed by DANB 1/1/11
Job Title Allowable Functions
According to (Functions with numbers relate specifically to Core Competency designations;
State of IN functions with bullets are in this state’s practice act but are not specific matches to DANB research)
© 2011 Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.
Dental
Assistant
qualified
in coronal Under Direct Supervision*
polishing/
Dental 9. Polish the coronal surface of teeth
Assistant 18. Apply medicaments for the control or prevention of dental caries
qualified in
fluoride
administra-
tion
DANB’s Note on Allowable Dental Assisting Functions
Dental In the state of Indiana, all dental assistants may:
Assistant
• Perform infection control and occupational safety procedures
• Perform other duties not specified by this state’s dental practice act
At this time, DANB cannot list all allowable dental assisting functions for each state
because some states’ dental practice acts outline very specific allowable functions,
while others outline only prohibited functions and some contain minimal or no regulation
of dental assisting duties.
*Direct Supervision: A licensed dentist is physically present in the facility when patient care is provided by the dental assistant
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