2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 12 - Professions and Occupations
Health Care
Article 35 - Dentists and Dental Hygienists
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 12-35-113. What constitutes practicing dentistry - authority to electronically prescribe

(1) A person is practicing dentistry if the person:

(a) Performs, or attempts or professes to perform, any dental operation, oral surgery, or dental diagnostic or therapeutic services of any kind; except that nothing in this paragraph (a) shall be construed to prohibit a dental hygienist or dental assistant from providing preventive dental or nutritional counseling, education, or instruction services;

(b) Is a proprietor of a place where dental operation, oral surgery, or dental diagnostic or therapeutic services are performed; except that nothing in this paragraph (b) shall be construed to prohibit a dental hygienist or dental assistant from performing those tasks and procedures consistent with section 12-35-128;

(c) Directly or indirectly, by any means or method, takes impression of the human tooth, teeth, jaws, maxillofacial area, or adjacent and associated structures, performs any phase of any operation incident to the replacement of a part of a tooth, or supplies artificial substitutes for the natural teeth, jaws, or adjacent and associated structures; except that nothing in this paragraph (c) prohibits a dental hygienist or dental assistant from performing tasks and procedures consistent with sections 12-35-124 (1) (d) and 12-35-128 (3) (b) (III);

(d) Furnishes, supplies, constructs, reproduces, or repairs any prosthetic denture, bridge, appliance, or other structure to be worn in the human mouth or upon the jaws, maxillofacial area, or adjacent and associated structures other than on the written laboratory work order of a duly licensed and practicing dentist;

(e) Places an appliance or structure described in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1) in the human mouth;

(f) Adjusts or attempts or professes to adjust an appliance or structure described in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1);

(g) Delivers an appliance or structure described in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1) to any person other than the dentist upon whose laboratory work order the work was performed;

(h) Professes to the public by any method to furnish, supply, construct, reproduce, or repair any prosthetic denture, bridge, appliance, or other structure to be worn in the human mouth or upon the jaws, maxillofacial area, or adjacent and associated structures;

(i) Examines, diagnoses, plans treatment of, or treats natural or artificial structures or conditions associated with, adjacent to, or functionally related to the oral cavity, jaws, maxillofacial area, or adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body;

(j) Extracts, or attempts to extract, human teeth or corrects, or attempts to correct, malformations of human teeth or jaws;

(k) Repairs or fills cavities in human teeth;

(l) Prescribes ionizing radiation or the use of an X ray for the purpose of taking dental X rays or roentgenograms; except that nothing in this paragraph (l) shall be construed to prohibit these procedures from being delegated to appropriately trained personnel in accordance with this article and rules of the board;

(m) Gives, or professes to give, interpretations or readings of dental X rays or roentgenograms, CT scans, or other diagnostic methodologies; except that nothing in this paragraph (m) shall be construed to prohibit a dental hygienist from performing tasks and procedures consistent with sections 12-35-124 and 12-35-125;

(n) Represents himself or herself to an individual or the general public as practicing dentistry, by using the words "dentist" or "dental surgeon", or by using the letters "D.D.S.", "D.M.D.", "D.D.S./M.D.", or "D.M.D./M.D.". Nothing in this paragraph (n) prohibits a dental hygienist or dental assistant from performing tasks and procedures consistent with section 12-35-128 (2) or (3) (b).

(o) States, permits to be stated, or professes by any means or method whatsoever that he or she can perform or will attempt to perform dental operations or render a diagnosis connected therewith;

(p) Prescribes drugs or medications and administers local anesthesia, analgesia including nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation, medication prescribed or administered for the relief of anxiety or apprehension, minimal sedation, moderate sedation, deep sedation, or general anesthesia as necessary for the proper practice of dentistry; except that nothing in this paragraph (p) shall be construed to prohibit a dental hygienist from performing those tasks and procedures consistent with sections 12-35-124 (1) (e) and (1) (g), 12-35-125 (1) (f), and 12-35-128, and in accordance with rules promulgated by the board;

(q) Prescribes, induces, and sets dosage levels for inhalation anesthesia; except that nothing in this paragraph (q) shall be construed to prohibit the delegation of monitoring and administration to appropriately trained personnel in accordance with this article and rules of the board;

(r) Gives or professes to give interpretations or readings of dental charts or records or gives treatment plans or interpretations of treatment plans derived from examinations, patient records, dental X rays, or roentgenograms; except that nothing in this paragraph (r) shall be construed to prohibit a dental hygienist or dental assistant from performing tasks and procedures consistent with sections 12-35-124, 12-35-125, and 12-35-128 (2) and (3).

(2) A licensed dentist may prescribe orders electronically.