Dental Hygienist Requirements in Arkansas: Scope of Practice & Direct Access
Dental Hygienists in Arkansas are regulated by the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners. The ADHA records a direct-access provision for Arkansas — Collaborative Agreement (Sec. 17-82-7) — the rule that decides whether a dental hygienist there can work without a dentist on site; see below for what it covers.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
ADHA Direct Access chart
Direct access
Yes
Since 2010
Category
Collaborative Agreement
Arkansas law
Statute
Sec. 17-82-7
ADHA Practice Act chart
Permitted functions
15 of 22
Verified September 2026
Regulated by
Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners
Arkansas’s Direct-Access Provision: Collaborative Agreement
Dental hygienist with a Collaborative Care permit I or II who has entered into a collaborative agreement may perform dental hygiene services on children, senior citizens age 65 and older, and persons with developmental disabilities in long-term care facilities, free clinics, hospitals, head start programs, residence of homebound patients, local health units, schools, community health centers, state and county correctional institutions.
Dental hygienist must have written agreement with no more than one dentist.
Provider services: Collaborative Care Permit I may provide prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, sealants, dental hygiene instruction, assessment and other services in scope if delegated by consulting dentist to children in public settings without supervision or prior examination. Collaborative Care Permit II may provide prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, sealants, dental hygiene instruction, assessment, and other services in scope if delegated by the consulting dentist to children, senior citizens, and persons with developmental disabilities in public settings without supervision or prior examination.
Requirements: Must have malpractice insurance. Collaborative Care Permit I: Dental hygienist must have 1,200 hours of clinical practice experience, or have taught dental hygiene courses for 2 of the proceeding 3 years. Collaborative Care Permit II: Dental hygienist must have 1,800 hours of clinical practice experience or taught dental hygiene courses for 2 of the proceeding 3 years and has completed 6 hours of continued education courses.
What a Dental Hygienist Can Do in Arkansas: Permitted Functions & Supervision Levels
Arkansas's ADHA Practice Act row centers on indirect supervision: ten of the 22 functions, including oral prophylaxis, x-rays, pit/fissure sealants, scaling and root planing, soft tissue curettage, administering nitrous oxide, placing and removing periodontal dressings, and placing and removing sutures, are listed at indirect supervision, where a dentist authorizes the procedure and is in the office while it is performed.
Local anesthesia sits at personal supervision, the strictest listed level, requiring the dentist to authorize, be present, and check the patient before dismissal.
Study cast impressions are listed at general supervision, and dental hygiene assessment at direct supervision.
Topical anesthesia and fluoride each carry more than one level depending on setting: topical anesthesia at indirect supervision or collaborative practice, fluoride at general supervision, direct access, or collaborative practice.
Dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning, prescriptive authority, Botox, lasers, vaccines, and dermal fillers are not listed on the chart for Arkansas.
- Local anesthesia is listed at personal supervision (P) for Arkansas, the strictest level on the chart: the dentist must authorize it, be present, and check the patient before dismissal.
- Ten of the 22 functions, including oral prophylaxis, x-rays, scaling and root planing, and administering nitrous oxide, sit at indirect supervision (ID), where the dentist authorizes the procedure and is in the office while it is performed.
- Topical anesthesia carries two levels for Arkansas (ID/CP), indirect supervision or collaborative practice depending on setting, rather than one uniform level.
- Fluoride carries three levels for Arkansas (G/A/CP), general supervision, direct access, and collaborative practice, the widest spread of any function on the state's row.
- Seven functions, including dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning, prescriptive authority, Botox, lasers, vaccines and dermal fillers, are not listed on the chart for Arkansas.
- ID
- Indirect supervision: dentist must authorize procedure and be in the dental office while the procedure is performed
- P
- Personal supervision: dentist needs to authorize, be present and check prior to patient dismissal
- CP
- Collaborative practice: RDH may practice without supervision, pursuant to a collaborative agreement between the RDH and a licensed dentist
- G
- General supervision: dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present
- A
- Direct access: hygienists can provide services as s/he determines appropriate without specific authorization
- D
- Direct supervision: dentist needs to be present
Read the chart the way ADHA means it
Source: ADHA Dental Hygiene Practice Act Overview: Permitted Functions and Supervision Levels by State (8.24.26 update). This document is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal opinion regarding dental practice in any state. To verify any information, please contact your state's dental board.
Local Anesthesia by Dental Hygienists in Arkansas
Arkansas authorized hygienists to administer local anesthesia by statute in 1995.
The ADHA Local Anesthesia chart lists direct supervision, both block and infiltration injections, education from an accredited or board-approved program, and no separate exam requirement.
It records a course of 16 hours didactic and 12 hours clinical instruction.
The Practice Act chart lists local anesthesia at personal supervision instead of direct, since the two charts do not always line up.
Confirm current course and permit rules with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners before enrolling or applying.
- State & Year Implemented
- 1995
- Supervision Required
- Direct
- Block and/or Infiltration
- Both
- Education Required
- Accredited/ Board Approved
- Exam Required
- No
- Authorized by Statute or Rule
- Statute
- Legal Requirements for Local Anesthesia Courses
- 16 hrs didactic; 12 hrs clinical
Source: ADHA Local Anesthesia Administration by Dental Hygienists – State Chart (Revised December 2025). This document is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal opinion regarding dental practice in any state. To verify any information, please contact your state's dental board.
Silver Diamine Fluoride by Dental Hygienists in Arkansas
ADHA's silver diamine fluoride document names SDF directly for Arkansas rather than folding it under fluoride.
The entry cites Article XI(A)(2)(e) and lists supervision as general.
The quoted provision allows a dentist to delegate SDF placement to a hygienist under general supervision.
It attaches one condition: before SDF is used for patient treatment, both the hygienist and their supervising dentist must submit proof to the Board that they have completed an approved educational course on SDF.
A dental hygienist may be delegated to place Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) under general supervision. If SDF is used, the dental hygienist and their supervising dentist must submit to the Board proof of successful completion of an approved educational course on SDF prior to its usage for and patient treatment.
Source: ADHA State Specific Information on Silver Diamine Fluoride (Revised September 2025). This document is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal opinion regarding dental practice in any state. To verify any information, please contact your state's dental board.
What Direct Access Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
Direct access is one dimension of scope, not scope itself. The ADHA’s direct-access chart records whether a dental hygienist can initiate treatment and treat a patient without a dentist present — the function-by-function supervision levels and the local anesthesia rules above come from two separate ADHA charts, and the three do not always line up neatly.
Don’t generalize from a direct-access provision to any other part of scope, and confirm specifics with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a dentist have to supervise a dental hygienist in Arkansas?
It's conditional, not unsupervised.
Arkansas's 2010 Collaborative Agreement (Sec. 17-82-7) lets a hygienist provide services without a dentist's supervision or prior examination, but only under a written agreement with no more than one dentist, only while holding a Collaborative Care Permit I or II (each with its own clinical-hours or teaching requirement, plus malpractice insurance), and only to the patients the agreement covers — children under Permit I, or children, senior citizens age 65+, and persons with developmental disabilities under Permit II — in public settings such as long-term care facilities, free clinics, hospitals, Head Start programs, homebound patients' residences, local health units, schools, community health centers, and state and county correctional institutions.
Confirm current details with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Who regulates dental hygienists in Arkansas?
Dental Hygienists in Arkansas are regulated by the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Scope of practice is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules directly with the board before relying on them.
Does a dentist need to be present when an Arkansas hygienist gives local anesthesia?
The two ADHA charts differ.
The Local Anesthesia chart lists direct supervision for Arkansas, meaning the dentist must be present, authorized by statute since 1995 for both block and infiltration injections.
The Practice Act chart instead lists local anesthesia at personal supervision, which adds a requirement that the dentist also check the patient before dismissal.
Because the two charts don't fully agree, confirm the current requirement with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners before providing local anesthesia.
What does the ID/CP listing for topical anesthesia mean in Arkansas?
Topical anesthesia carries two supervision levels on the Arkansas row: indirect supervision, where the dentist authorizes the procedure and is in the office while it is performed, and collaborative practice, where a hygienist may provide it without supervision under a collaborative agreement with a licensed dentist.
Which level applies depends on the setting.
Confirm which arrangement applies to a given practice with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Does the Arkansas chart list dental hygiene diagnosis or prescriptive authority?
No. Dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning and prescriptive authority are not listed on the ADHA Practice Act chart for Arkansas, along with Botox, lasers, vaccines and dermal fillers.
Not listed means the chart records no supervision level for these functions in Arkansas, which is a narrower statement than a ban.
Confirm current scope of practice with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Which Arkansas hygiene functions carry the strictest oversight?
Two functions stand out on Arkansas's row: local anesthesia at personal supervision, which requires the dentist to authorize, be present, and check the patient before dismissal, and dental hygiene assessment at direct supervision, which requires the dentist to be present.
Most other listed functions sit at indirect supervision, a lighter level.
Confirm what these levels mean for a specific practice with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Does an Arkansas hygienist need special training before placing silver diamine fluoride?
Yes.
The rule ADHA quotes for Arkansas conditions SDF placement on both the hygienist and their supervising dentist submitting proof to the Board of completing an approved educational course on SDF before it is used for patient treatment.
The entry lists supervision as general, meaning a dentist delegates the service under Article XI(A)(2)(e).
It does not state course hours or a provider, so confirm current course requirements with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners before relying on one.
More Arkansas & Dental Hygienist Resources
Sourced from the ADHA Direct Access States chart (Revised February 2025), the ADHA Dental Hygiene Practice Act Overview: Permitted Functions and Supervision Levels by State (8.24.26 update) and the ADHA Local Anesthesia Administration by Dental Hygienists – State Chart (Revised December 2025), and the ADHA State Specific Information on Silver Diamine Fluoride (Revised September 2025). Verified September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice — confirm current rules with the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners.