In 43 of the 51 jurisdictions tracked by the ADHA's Practice Act Overview (8.24.26 update), soft tissue curettage is listed as permitted hygienist scope — though the required supervision ranges from a dentist physically present to full direct access.
It's a different procedure from scaling and root planing, even though the two are often performed at the same appointment.
Eight jurisdictions don't list it at all.
Always confirm your exact state's current rule with its dental board.
The short answer
In most of the country, yes — the ADHA's Practice Act Overview (8.24.26 update) lists soft tissue curettage as permitted hygienist scope in 43 of the 51 jurisdictions it tracks.
The other 8 show no listed supervision level for this function at all.
Where it is listed, the required supervision ranges widely — from a dentist physically present in the room to full direct access, where the hygienist may provide it based on their own assessment.
That range, not a flat yes-or-no, is the real answer for most states.
Informational only — confirm with your state board
What soft tissue curettage is — and how it differs from scaling and root planing
Soft tissue curettage means scraping away the diseased, inflamed lining of a periodontal pocket's soft-tissue wall — the pocket's inner surface, not the tooth itself.
That's a different target from scaling and root planing, which removes plaque and tartar from the tooth and root surface and smooths the root so tissue can reattach.
In practice the two are frequently performed at the same appointment on a patient being treated for gum disease, and the ADHA chart lists them as separate rows with separate supervision levels — so permission for one doesn't automatically carry over to the other.
Check both rows, not just one, before assuming your full scope on a periodontal case.
Reading the supervision levels
The codes come directly from the chart's own legend:
- D — Direct Supervision: the dentist needs to be present.
- ID — Indirect Supervision: the dentist must authorize the procedure and be in the dental office while it's performed.
- G — General Supervision: the dentist authorizes the service beforehand but need not be present.
- A — Direct Access: the hygienist can provide the service based on their own determination, without specific authorization.
- CP — Collaborative Practice: the hygienist may practice without supervision, under a collaborative agreement with a licensed dentist.
- "-" — not listed as a permitted function in the chart. That isn't the same as prohibited — it means the chart records no permitted supervision level for that state, so confirm directly with the board.
Where a state's cell lists more than one letter — like Alaska's G/A/CP or Massachusetts's G/CP — those are separate listed settings (commonly private versus public practice), never a range and never blended into one answer.
Quote the cell exactly as the chart lists it.
Soft tissue curettage supervision, by state
Quoting the chart as written, here is the supervision level listed for every jurisdiction.
General supervision (G) alone is the most common listing, covering 22 of the 51.
A direct-supervision requirement (D) is the only listed level in 10 states — Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin — and Hawaii's D/G brings the total requiring the dentist present in at least one setting to 11.
Eight jurisdictions — Idaho, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming — show no listed supervision level for this function at all.
| State | Soft tissue curettage supervision level (ADHA chart) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | D |
| Alaska | G/A/CP |
| Arizona | G |
| Arkansas | ID |
| California | D |
| Colorado | A |
| Connecticut | G |
| Delaware | G |
| District of Columbia | G |
| Florida | D |
| Georgia | D |
| Hawaii | D/G |
| Idaho | - |
| Illinois | G |
| Indiana | D |
| Iowa | D |
| Kansas | G |
| Kentucky | D |
| Louisiana | - |
| Maine | A |
| Maryland | G |
| Massachusetts | G/CP |
| Michigan | D |
| Minnesota | G |
| Mississippi | G |
| Missouri | G/A |
| Montana | G/A |
| Nebraska | G |
| Nevada | G/A |
| New Hampshire | G |
| New Jersey | G |
| New Mexico | G |
| New York | G |
| North Carolina | - |
| North Dakota | G |
| Ohio | D |
| Oklahoma | G |
| Oregon | G/A |
| Pennsylvania | - |
| Rhode Island | - |
| South Carolina | G |
| South Dakota | G |
| Tennessee | - |
| Texas | G |
| Utah | G |
| Vermont | G |
| Virginia | ID |
| Washington | G |
| West Virginia | - |
| Wisconsin | D |
| Wyoming | - |
Source: ADHA Dental Hygiene Practice Act Overview, 8.24.26 update.
Multi-letter cells are separate settings (commonly private/public practice), not a range — quoted here exactly as the chart lists them.
How this compares to the other functions on this chart
Soft tissue curettage sits in the middle of this 22-function chart's range of restriction. Scaling and root planing and x-rays are listed as permitted in all 51 jurisdictions, with no state showing "-" at all. Local anesthesia is nearly as broad, unlisted in only 2 of the 51.
Curettage is unlisted in 8 — more restricted than any of those three, but far less restricted than nitrous oxide (unlisted in 17) or Botox (unlisted in 48). Dermal fillers, a separate row on the same chart, is unlisted in all 51.
Don't assume permission for one function on this chart implies permission for another — the ADHA lists each one separately, and this article covers curettage specifically.
Confirm your state's exact rule
A "-" on this chart means soft tissue curettage isn't listed as a permitted function in that state's row — it does not mean the state prohibits it outright, only that the chart doesn't record an authorized supervision level there.
Even where a level is listed, confirm exactly what it requires in practice, since practice acts and their interpretation change over time.
Start with your state dental board's practice act, and treat this chart and this article as a snapshot dated to 8.24.26 rather than a permanent rule.
For the rest of what a hygienist can and can't do, see our full breakdown of hygienist scope limits.
This article is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Scope-of-practice and supervision rules vary by state and change over time — confirm current requirements with your state dental board.