Dental Radiology Regulations and Testing Information

New Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations regarding radiological health have gone into effect.

While these changes most notably impact dental offices with Cone Beam- Computed Tomography (CBCT) machines, there are changes that will impact all dental offices.  Click here for an overview of the changes.

DEP regulations can be found in 25 PA. Code, Chapters 215-221. 

State Board of Dentistry (SBOD) regulations state that only licensed dental hygienists, as well as auxiliary personnel who have passed the approved radiologic procedure examination, may perform radiological procedures.  These procedures must take place under the supervision of a dentist. 

For more information regarding radiologic procedure regulations, please refer to PA Code Title 49, Section 33.302. 

 


Testing

In accordance with Section 11.4 of the Dental Law, 63 P.S § 130e, any individual who has passed the Board’s radiologic procedures examination may perform radiologic procedures on the premises of and under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.  A radiologic procedure is defined at a dental diagnostic procedure that utilizes ionizing radiation. 

The SBOD- approved radiologic procedure examination is the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam.  Candidates can apply to take the exam, download a registration packet, or access study resources by visiting https://www.danb.org/Become-Certified/Exams-and-Certifications/RHS-Exam.aspx.

After passing DANB’s RHS exam, dental auxiliary personnel must retain a copy of their scores indicating a passing score for their records, as well as supply a copy of those scores to their employer(s) to keep on file.  

With the 2018 transition to PALS, the SBOD no longer requires auxiliary personnel to apply to the Board of pay a fee.  The SBOD will also no longer register auxiliary personnel or issue any document authorizing auxiliary personnel to apply ionizing radiation in the office of a dentist.  Personnel who were previously registered with the Board will be able to verify their registration in PALS as evidence of their authority to perform radiologic procedures.  

Note: Prior to adopting the DANB RHS examination, the Board’s approved examination was administered by Experior Assessments/ Thompson Prometric/ Prometric. 

 


Continuing Education

25 Pa. Code, § 221.11(b) requires that dentists, dental hygienists and auxiliary personnel (who are involved with X-ray procedures) maintain continuing education in radiation safety, biological effects of radiation, quality assurance and quality control. 

The frequency of the continuing education depends on whether the dental office is classified as high-risk or low –risk.  The majority of dental offices will fall into the low-risk category, while offices with certain machines such as cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) will fall into the high- risk category.

High-Risk Procedure- Any radiologic procedure that uses energies of less than 1 million electron volts that could exceed skin doses of 200 rad (2.0 Gy). 

Low-Risk Procedure- Any radiologic procedure that is not a high-risk procedure.

Continuing education for high-risk procedures shall occur, at a minimum, every 2 years.  Continuing education for low-risk procedures shall occur, at a minimum, every 4 years. 

 


Radiology Protection Update- earn CE credits!

PDA member dentists and their non-dentist staff members can earn 2 CE credits for completing PDA's course, "Radiation Protection Update" using the online CE platform. Please click here to go to the online ce platform. 
 
In order to receive a certificate of completion, you must pass a quiz based on the content of the course.  If you are not able to pass the quiz, you will not receive credit for the course.  You can take the quiz until you receive a passing score. 


Quality Assurance Resources


For further information regarding this issue, please contact the PDA Central Office at (717) 234-5941, or email Kathleen Kennedy.

If you are a dentist who is not currently a PDA member, but would like to consider membership, please contact the PDA Central Office at (717) 234-5941.