SHRP Dental Hygienists Permitted to Administer Local Anesthesia

course that allows dental hygieenists to dminister local anesthetic injections to their patients was offered for the first time Spring 2009 as part of the School of Health Related Professions' Continuing Education (CE) curriculum. The first group of 29 dental hygienists succesfully completed the course in April and received permits upon passing the local anesthesia component of the North East Regional Board (NERB) Exam.

"This had been in the works for many years, and the State Board of Dentistry of New Jersey passed regulations in the Fall of 2008, making it the first course approved by the state," said Dr Carolyn Breen, Professor and Chair of Allied Dental Education (ADE), and Program Director of Dental Assisting and Hygiene.

r. Vaishali Singhal, Assistant Professor of ADE, began developing the course two years ago. Since that time, she has offered the course to dental hygienists throughout the state in preparation for the exam. Dr. Breen also received permission to incorporate it into the dental hygiene curriculum. By doing so, the Program's January graduates would automatically be eligible to take the NERB anesthesia exam this Spring. Special recognition also goes to Donna Notaro, Adjunct Instructor and Alicia Dahl, Secretary, both from Allied Dental Health, for their support in the development and implementation of the course.