NMDA Journal Summer 2020

26 New Mexico Dental Journal, Summer 2020 Greetings all. It has been quite a year for all of us. My hope is that you all are staying healthy during this challenging time. I will report on our latest activi- ties concerning new rules, licen- sure, dental therapy, and executive orders. At the October 2019 rules hearing, the main purpose was to reorganize the existing por- tions of the guidelines concerning advertis- ing, as these were scattered throughout rules in multiple sections. We combined and clari- fied all these rules into Part 1, General Provi- sions, of the Rules and Regulations. We further defined bait advertising and what is considered false and misleading. Testimoni- als, claims of superiority, use of acronyms, and specialty advertising are addressed. See the board website and click on “Rules and Laws” for the copies of the Dental Practice Act and Rules and Regulations. These new rules cover all licensees, including non- dentist owners. Other areas modified are sedation CE, pain control with opioids, and treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. We clarified in writ- ing that clinical dental exams require a patient-based clinical exam, more on this later in this report. Again, get familiar with the website and the rules sections. Our biggest task this year has been creating rules for dental therapy. Since the legislature passed the law allowing this mid-level den- tal provider, the board has been developing rules, with the input from various agencies and interests throughout the state. The stat- ute is very clear on scope and supervision, but some interest groups are requesting changing existing rules to allow more free- dom for employment and supervision of these licensees. The board’s charge is to ensure, as much as possible, public safety. That is our overarching compass in which to follow. I am planning to have a Rules Hear- ing in October for finalize these rules for den- tal therapy. The board conducted a special meeting on May 15, 2020 to discuss solutions for the 2020 dental and dental hygiene graduates for licensure. With the obvious hardships cre- ated by COV19, graduates from dental and dental hygiene schools face unwilling patients, travel difficulties, school and state restrictions, and reduced examiner availability. NMBDHC Report to NMDA HOD 2020 By Charles Schumacher, DDS, Chair, NM Board of Dental Health Care The board decided that the hygiene exams will remain the same with no changes. 2020 dental graduates will have the option of either staying with the traditional patient-based clin- ical examinations or by taking a manikin- based exam for operative and periodontal procedures. This is only a temporary solution, as the board emphatically prefers the tradi- tional examinations. Taking a manikin-based exam is risky, as there are no guarantees of portability from state to state. The details of this special ruling are posted on the board website. With delays for renewing licenses, there will be grace periods for CPR and radiology certi- fications. Just make sure you follow the latest notifications, also posted on the board web- site. And as a reminder, all licensee renewals must be done online, including hygiene and auxiliaries. No mail-in renewals are accepted anymore. We are working with the Governor and the Department of Health on publishing the most current orders and notices relating to COV19 as soon as they are available. There is much confusion about what is con- sidered mandatory reporting of adverse inci- dents and events to the board. The rules mandate that all licensees must report any conviction of a felony or misdemeanor,