Under general supervision, is a dental hygienist allowed to perform deep scaling with anesthesia if the patient consents?

• A. No.
• B. Only with a dentist present.
• C. Only after board approval.
• D. Yes.

Answer: (D)

Under general supervision, the dentist can delegate procedures to the hygienist, including deep scaling with local anesthesia, as long as the procedure is within the hygienist’s scope and the dentist has approved it in the treatment plan. The patient’s informed consent is part of the process, and the dentist retains responsibility for diagnosis, treatment planning, and overall supervision. This means the hygienist can perform the deep scaling with anesthesia without the dentist being physically present for the procedure, provided the hygienist is properly credentialed and the procedure is authorized by the supervising dentist. The other options don’t fit because direct supervision would require the dentist to be present, “board approval first” isn't the standard gatekeeping step once the procedure is delegated, and saying it’s not allowed contradicts the delegated-scope framework under general supervision.