Yes. A licensed dental hygienist must obtain a restricted certificate to administer and monitor local infiltration anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia in the practice of dental hygiene, under the personal supervision of a licensed dentist.
Dental hygienists who hold a local infiltration anesthesia/nitrous oxide certificate can administer and monitor local infiltration anesthesia or nitrous oxide analgesia based upon instructions provided by a licensed dentist who remains in the office where the services are being performed. The supervising dentist must personally authorize and prescribe the use of local infiltration anesthesia or nitrous oxide analgesia for the patient, and evaluate the condition of the patient after the dental hygienist has completed the procedure and before the patient leaves the office.
No. Certified dental hygienists may only administer local infiltration anesthesia, meaning local anesthetic solution deposited near the terminal nerve endings, in the area of prospective dental hygiene treatment
To become certified to administer and monitor local infiltration and nitrous oxide analgesia, a New York licensed dental hygienist must:
Interested dental hygienists should contact the dental school or dental hygiene school of their choice to see if a certification course is available.
The dental hygienist must become licensed to practice dental hygiene in New York State and apply for New York State anesthesia certification. The education completed previously would be reviewed by the State Education Department to determine whether or not it is equivalent to New York State's educational and training requirements for certification. If a dental hygienist's education and training is not found to be equivalent, he or she may be required to complete additional didactic coursework or clinical training before certification.
For additional information, you may contact the State Board for Dentistry by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 550 or by e-mailing dentbd@nysed.gov.