AB 552

Generally, under current law, to practice dentistry in Wisconsin, a person must

be licensed as a dentist by the Dentistry Examining Board. Current law defines

"dentistry" as "the examination, diagnosis, treatment, planning or care of conditions

within the human oral cavity or its adjacent tissues and structures." The definition

of dentistry under current law further specifies a number of activities that constitute

dentistry, including extracting teeth or correcting their malposition; prescribing or

administering drugs, including anesthetics, in conjunction with providing purported

dental services; engaging in any of the practices, techniques, or procedures included

in the curricula of accredited dental schools; or penetrating, piercing, or severing the

tissues within the human oral cavity or adjacent associated structures.

This bill replaces that definition and defines "dentistry" to mean "the

examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment, including surgery, of

diseases, disorders, or conditions of the human oral cavity or its adjacent or

associated tissues and structures, or of the maxillofacial area, and their impact on

the human body."

The bill also provides that a licensed dentist may not perform dental services

that are outside the scope of the dentist's relevant education, training, and

experience, and the bill excludes from the dentistry licensing requirement any

physician who is licensed in this state to the extent that the physician is acting within

the scope of his or her license. Current law excludes a physician only to the extent

that he or she extracts teeth or performs other activities specified by statute.