A bill that would create the first oral surgery dental assistant permit in the country and require all dental assistants to have permits is awaiting the governor's signature.
Senate Bill 684 comes months after Tulsa oral surgeon Dr. W. Scott Harrington was found to be using unsanitary equipment and poor infection-control procedures that could have exposed more than 7,000 patients to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Harrington said his assistants were in charge of sterilization procedures at his practice, according to a complaint from the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
His assistants were also performing IV sedation, which still would be forbidden under the proposed law. They could face up to four years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine if found guilty of practicing dentistry without a license.
A spokesman for Gov. Mary Fallin said she had neither signed nor vetoed the bill and that it is going through the normal review process.
Susan Rogers, executive director of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, said the attempt to require all assistants to have permits was planned in January, before the Harrington allegations came to light.
She said the bill was a cooperative effort from the entire dental community.
"In this project, we're all on the same page," she said.
Dentistry performed while the patient is asleep is becoming more popular, and the statutes need to recognize the needs of current medical technology, Rogers said.
"We all realize now that we need to update our statutes," she said.
The permits would cost at least $50.
Expanded-duty permits would continue to be available for assistants wishing to perform extra duties such as polishing teeth or administering nitrous oxide.
Rep. David Derby, R-Owasso, an author of the bill, said it could allow the dental board to raise more money and hire more inspectors.
The Harrington situation served as a reminder of the importance of board oversight, he said.
"Whether he's guilty or not, it still brought up the issues that are out there dealing with inspections," he said.
Patient tests positive
One more former patient of Tulsa oral surgeon Dr. W. Scott Harrington has tested positive for hepatitis C, according to the Tulsa City-County Health Department.
The case brings the total testing positive for hepatitis C to 71, with five previously testing positive for hepatitis B and three for HIV.
Harrington's practice could have exposed more than 7,000 patients to the diseases through unsanitary conditions and poor infection-control procedures.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, testing had been completed for 4,011 people.
Screenings are still available weekdays at the North Regional Health and Wellness Center, 5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. To schedule an appointment, call 918-595-4380.
Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Bill would set permits for dental assistants
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