Subject to the supervising dentist exercising full responsibility, a dental assistant may perform duties or procedures incidental to patient care, including intraoral services or assisting in the performance of clinical or clinical-related duties, if the duties or procedures are performed under direct or indirect supervision of a dentist or personal supervision of a dental hygienist.

1. (1) Making impressions or obtaining digital records for casts and appliances;
2. (2) Creating or delivering vacuum-formed orthodontic retainers;
3. (3) Taking photographs extraorally or intraorally;
4. (4) Cutting long or broken wires;
5. (5) Removing loose bands, clasps, or brackets on orthodontic appliances or retainers;
6. (6) Removing and replacing existing ligature ties and arch wires on orthodontic appliances;
7. (7) Removing existing and replacing lost or missing elastic orthodontic separators;
8. (8) Recementing existing provisional restorations;
9. (9) Manipulating dental software for designing restorations;
10. (10) Duties or procedures that involve infection control; and
11. (11) Taking vital signs and updating health history.

Subject to the supervising dentist exercising full responsibility, a dental assistant may perform the following duties or procedures if the supervising dentist is not present in the dental clinic, but has prior knowledge of and has authorized the performance:

Source: 19 SDR 32, effective September 6, 1992; 46 SDR 75, effective December 4, 2019.

General Authority: SDCL 36-6A-14.

Law Implemented: SDCL 36-6A-14 (1)(10), 36-6A-41 .

Prior versions effective: 1992-09-06.