Senate Bill S2937

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2937

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the education law, in relation to amending the
definition of the scope of practice of dentistry to authorize dentists
who are adequately trained to perform any procedure in the oral and
maxillofacial area

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
This bill would permit maxillofacial surgeons who have been granted
privileges to perform oral and maxillofacial surgery by a hospital to
perform any procedure in the oral and maxillofacial area regardless of
its relation to the oral cavity. It would eliminate the need to rely
on the emergency exception for those surgeons who do perform such
procedures.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
This bill would amend section 6601 of the education law, as added by
chapter 576 of the laws of 2001. It divides the scope of practice
section into two subdivisions. The second adds express authorization
for oral and maxillofacial surgeons to perform any procedure in the
oral and maxillofacial area provided the oral and maxillofacial
surgeon has been granted privileges by a hospital licensed by the
health department.

 JUSTIFICATION :
              

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are surgical specialists of the dental
profession. Like medical surgeons, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
undergo long residencies of between four to six years. These
nationally accredited residencies involve hundreds of facial
surgeries, schooling in advanced biomedical sciences, hospital surgery
rotations and general anesthesia/deep sedation.  Surgical
concentrations are in four main areas: 1) trauma; 2) pathology; 3) jaw
surgery and 4) reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.  Most Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons serve on hospital trauma teams to repair facial
injuries on accident victims. In 2001, chapter 576 expanded and
amended the scope of practice for dentistry to include the entire oral
and maxillofacial area as it related to restoring or maintaining
dental health. This amendment would continue the scope's modernization
by allowing any procedure within that area to be performed by those
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons who have been granted privileges to
perform the procedure/s in a hospital licensed by the health
department.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
A.7044 of 2007-2008 - Referred to Higher Education

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
Not Applicable.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.