ADT/DT News Release

Recent News Release regarding ADT/DT legislation!

What are the differences between an advanced dental therapist (ADT) and a dental therapist (DT)?

Why are the Names so Similar? (Answer at the end)

The main differences between ADT and DT:
  • Level of education
  • Level of supervision
  • Duties/procedures allowed
A. Educational requirements:
Advanced Dental Therapist:
  • Under 150A.106, an applicant must graduate and be licensed as a dental therapist, complete 2,000 hours of dental therapy clinical practice (some portion of these hours may be completed during DT program when performing clinical procedures) under appropriate supervision and graduate from a master's advanced dental therapy education program.
  • Currently the only program for ADT requires applicants be a dental hygienist with a baccalaureate degree (BS), which is the MetropolitanState University program. The law, or statute, does not state that this is a prerequisite so in the future, there may be programs that allow graduates who are not dental hygienists with BS degrees to become an ADT.
Dental Therapist:
  • Applicant with high school/higher level education may apply accept to Metropolitan State University program, as noted above
  • University of Minnesota has both BS and Master's degree programs for the DT (graduates are only a DT upon completion of BS or Masters program)
B. Supervision requirements:
Advanced Dental Therapist:
  • Collaborative Management Agreement (CMA) with a licensed Minnesota dentist (read parameters required to practice at the MN Board of Dentistry website; see link below). May practice in settings remote from the dentist.
Dental Therapist:
  • Collaborative Management Agreement (CMA) with a licensed Minnesota dentist (read parameters required to practice at the MN Board of Dentistry website; link below). Must practice with a dentist in the office for most procedures; see list below.
Both ADT and DT:
  • Limited to practicing in settings that primarily serve low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients or in a dental health shortage area.
  • May supervise up to four licensed or non-registered dental assistants at any one setting per the CMA.
  • A licensed Minnesota dentist is limited to no more than five CMA's with DT's or ADT's at any one time.
  • Please go to MN Board of Dentistry website to view requirements for a CMA. See link below.
C. Duties/Procedures:
The duties and level of supervision required, taken from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry Laws and Rules:
Advanced Dental Therapist:
After certification, the ADT may work remotely under the CMA with a licensed Minnesota dentist,perform under general supervision:
  • All the procedures of a DT (listed below) 150A.105 Subd. 4 (c)
  • Oral evaluation (recognized by the MN Department of Human Services * refer to coding explanation below)
  • Assessment of dental disease
  • Formulation of an individualized treatment plan authorized by the collaborative dentist
  • Extraction of permanent teeth limited by Subd. 3b (ADT may perform non-surgical extractions of periodontally diseased permanent teeth with tooth mobility of +3 to +4 under general supervision, if authorized in advance by the collaborating dentist. ADT may not extract unerupted, impacted, fractured, or a tooth that needs to be sectioned for removal)
Dental Therapist:
  • After certification, the DT may, under the CMA with a licensed Minnesota dentist, perform the following procedures: 150A.105 Subd. 4 (c)
Under general supervision (means the supervision of tasks or procedures that do not require the presence of the dentist in the office or on the premises at the time the tasks or procedures are being performed but require the tasks being performed to be with the prior knowledge and consent of the dentist):
  1. oral health instruction and dental prevention education, including nutritional counseling and dietary analysis
  2. preliminary charting of the oral cavity
  3. making radiographs
  4. mechanical polishing
  5. application of topical preventative or prophylactic agents, including fluoride varnishes and pit and fissure sealants
  6. pulp vitality testing
  7. application of desensitizing medication or resin
  8. fabrication of athletic mouthguards
  9. placement of temporary restorations
  10. fabrication of soft occlusal guards
  11. tissue conditioning and soft reline
  12. atraumatic restorative therapy
  13. dressing changes
  14. tooth reimplantation
  15. administration of local anesthetic
  16. administration of nitrous oxide
Under indirect supervision (means dentist physically present in the office, authorizes the procedures, and remains in the office while procedures are being performed):
  1. emergency palliative treatment of dental pain
  2. the placement and removal of space maintainers
  3. cavity preparation
  4. restoration of primary and permanent teeth
  5. placement of temporary crowns;
  6. preparation and placement of preformed crowns
  7. pulpotomies on primary teeth
  8. indirect and direct pulp capping on primary and permanent teeth
  9. stabilization of reimplanted teeth
  10. extractions of primary teeth
  11. suture removal
  12. brush biopsies
  13. repair of defective prosthetic devices
  14. recementing of permanent crowns
In addition, DT's and ADT's(150A.105 subd. 5) may dispense and administer the following drugs (within the parameters of the CMA and within the scope of practice of the DT/ADT): (note: this does not allow for prescribing, only dispensing and administering)
  1. analgesics
  2. anti-inflammatories
  3. antibiotics
Why are the Names so Similar? (Answer)

The Minnesota Legislature made this decision. These were the preferred titles by the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA). As you know, MnDHA wanted the title for the ADT to be either Oral Health Practitioner (OHP) or Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) so that the positions would be more easily identified. Remember, the MDA and U of M did not want these positions to be created at all in the beginning. The titles were part of the compromise the legislature made with the stakeholders and we have to accept their decision.

for the link to the Minnesota Board of Dentistry Statutes (laws) and Rules.