In just 15 of the 51 jurisdictions tracked by the ADHA's Practice Act Overview (8.24.26 update), laser use is listed as permitted hygienist scope — one of the more restricted functions on the chart.
Where it is listed, supervision most often requires a dentist physically present.
The other 36 jurisdictions show no listed level at all.
Always confirm your exact state's current rule with its dental board.
The short answer
In most of the country, no — the ADHA's Practice Act Overview (8.24.26 update) lists laser use as permitted hygienist scope in only 15 of the 51 jurisdictions it tracks.
The other 36 show no listed supervision level for this function at all.
Where it is listed, supervision runs from a dentist physically present to broader arrangements like Minnesota's collaborative-practice agreement — but Direct supervision is the single most common requirement among the states that list it.
Informational only — confirm with your state board
What "Lasers" covers on this chart
The ADHA chart lists "Lasers" as a single line item among the 22 functions it tracks — it doesn't break the function out by laser type (soft-tissue vs. hard-tissue) or by specific procedure.
That's the same treatment the chart gives Botox and Dermal Fillers: one row, one supervision level per state, no procedure-level detail.
Lasers, Botox, and Dermal Fillers sit together among the chart's expanded and emerging functions — the newest, least standardized additions to hygienist scope.
This article covers the chart's "Lasers" line specifically; it isn't a guide to any one laser device or procedure.
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.
- 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 Arizona's D/G, Vermont's G/D, or Minnesota'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.
Laser supervision, by state
Quoting the chart as written, here is the supervision level listed for every jurisdiction.
Direct supervision (D) alone is the most common listing among the 15 states that list any level — Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, and West Virginia require it, and Arizona's D/G and Vermont's G/D add two more states requiring a dentist present in at least one setting.
General supervision (G) alone covers Alaska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
California and Virginia list Indirect (ID), and Minnesota lists General/Collaborative Practice (G/CP).
The remaining 36 jurisdictions show no listed supervision level for this function at all.
| State | Laser supervision level (ADHA chart) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | D |
| Alaska | G |
| Arizona | D/G |
| Arkansas | - |
| California | ID |
| Colorado | D |
| Connecticut | - |
| Delaware | - |
| District of Columbia | - |
| Florida | - |
| Georgia | D |
| Hawaii | - |
| Idaho | - |
| Illinois | - |
| Indiana | D |
| Iowa | - |
| Kansas | - |
| Kentucky | D |
| Louisiana | - |
| Maine | - |
| Maryland | - |
| Massachusetts | - |
| Michigan | - |
| Minnesota | G/CP |
| Mississippi | - |
| Missouri | - |
| Montana | - |
| Nebraska | - |
| Nevada | - |
| New Hampshire | - |
| New Jersey | - |
| New Mexico | - |
| New York | - |
| North Carolina | - |
| North Dakota | - |
| Ohio | - |
| Oklahoma | G |
| Oregon | - |
| Pennsylvania | - |
| Rhode Island | - |
| South Carolina | - |
| South Dakota | G |
| Tennessee | - |
| Texas | D |
| Utah | - |
| Vermont | G/D |
| Virginia | ID |
| Washington | - |
| West Virginia | D |
| Wisconsin | - |
| 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
Laser use is one of the more restricted functions on this 22-function chart.
It's unlisted in 36 of the 51 jurisdictions — more restricted than soft tissue curettage (unlisted in 8) and nitrous oxide (unlisted in 17), and far more restricted than local anesthesia (unlisted in only 2) or x-rays (listed in all 51 jurisdictions).
It's less restricted than Botox (unlisted in 48) and Dermal Fillers, a separate row on the same chart that's unlisted in all 51 jurisdictions.
Don't assume permission for one function on this chart implies permission for another — the ADHA lists each one separately, and this article covers laser use specifically.
Confirm your state's exact rule
A "-" on this chart means laser use 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.