dental therapist, a midlevel provider with distinct educational, examination, and practice requirements who may perform procedures as specified by state-specific laws. Procedures may include: oral health instruction and disease prevention education, including nutritional counseling and dietary analysis; preliminary charting of the oral cavity; making radiographs; mechanical polishing; application of topical preventive or prophylactic agents, including fluoride varnishes and pit and fissure sealants; pulp vitality testing; application of desensitizing medication or resin; fabrication of athletic mouthguards; placement of temporary restorations; fabrication of soft occlusal guards; tissue conditioning and soft reline; atraumatic restorative therapy; dressing changes; tooth reimplantation; administration of local anesthetic; and administration of nitrous oxide. Also may include emergency palliative treatment of dental pain; the placement and removal of space maintainers; cavity preparation; restoration of primary and permanent teeth; placement of temporary crowns; preparation and placement of preformed crowns; pulpotomies on primary teeth; indirect and direct pulp capping on primary and permanent teeth; stabilization of reimplanted teeth; extractions of primary teeth; suture removal; brush biopsies; repair of defective prosthetic devices; and recementing of permanent crowns.
