Dental Hygienist Requirements in Mississippi: Scope of Practice & Direct Access
Dental Hygienists in Mississippi are regulated by the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners. The ADHA's direct-access chart does not list a provision for Mississippi; that absence is the fact on record, not a statement about what dental hygienists may or may not do there.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
ADHA Direct Access chart
Direct access
Not listed
ADHA Practice Act chart
Permitted functions
12 of 22
Verified September 2026
Regulated by
Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners
What a Dental Hygienist Can Do in Mississippi: Permitted Functions & Supervision Levels
Mississippi's ADHA chart lists 12 of the 22 tracked functions, and none of them sit at a single direct-access level.
Oral prophylaxis, x-rays, and fluoride each carry two levels, general supervision or direct access depending on setting, per the chart's private/public split.
Pit/fissure sealants and study cast impressions carry a similar two-level cell, general and direct supervision.
Local anesthesia, topical anesthesia, scaling and root planing, administering nitrous oxide, removing periodontal dressings, and removing sutures are each listed at direct supervision alone, meaning the dentist must be present.
Soft tissue curettage is the only function listed at general supervision by itself.
Ten functions, including dental hygiene diagnosis, dental hygiene assessment, treatment planning, prescriptive authority, placing periodontal dressings, placing sutures, Botox, lasers, vaccines, and dermal fillers, are not listed on the chart for Mississippi.
- Oral prophylaxis, x-rays, and fluoride each carry a two-level G/A cell for Mississippi, general supervision in one setting and direct access in the other, per the chart's private/public split, not a single supervision level.
- Local anesthesia is listed at direct supervision (D) for Mississippi, the strictest level on the chart, requiring the dentist to be present.
- Pit/Fissure Sealants and Study Cast Impressions carry a G/D two-level cell for Mississippi, so the level differs by setting rather than sitting at one fixed level.
- Ten functions, including dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning, dental hygiene assessment, and prescriptive authority, carry no supervision level for Mississippi on the chart, which ADHA records as not listed.
- 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 Mississippi
Mississippi's ADHA Local Anesthesia chart lists hygienists as authorized to administer local anesthesia since 2003, by rules, at direct supervision, meaning the dentist must be present.
The chart records both block and infiltration injections, education from an accredited program, and an exam requirement listed as CDCA, WREB, or CITA.
The course requirement it records is that the course must include both clinical and didactic components.
Confirm current course and permit rules with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners before enrolling or applying.
- State & Year Implemented
- 2003
- Supervision Required
- Direct
- Block and/or Infiltration
- Both
- Education Required
- Accredited
- Exam Required
- Yes – CDCA- WREB-CITA
- Authorized by Statute or Rule
- Rules
- Legal Requirements for Local Anesthesia Courses
- Course must include clinical and didactic
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 Mississippi
ADHA's silver diamine fluoride document names SDF directly for Mississippi rather than folding it under fluoride.
The entry cites section 73-9-5 and points to Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners meeting minutes from February 23, 2018, where the Board approved dental hygienists administering SDF as part of their dental hygiene practice.
ADHA lists supervision as direct, and the quoted minutes attach one condition beyond that supervision level: the hygienist administers SDF only after a licensed Mississippi dentist has diagnosed the case and set the treatment plan.
The entry does not describe a separate training course, permit, or collaborative agreement.
At its 02/23/2018 meeting, the Board APPROVED the administration of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) by licensed Mississippi dental hygienists as part of their dental hygiene practices under the direct supervision of, and following diagnosis and treatment planning by, a licensed Mississippi dentist.
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 Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a dentist have to supervise a dental hygienist in Mississippi?
The ADHA's direct-access chart does not record a provision for Mississippi.
That absence is the fact on record — it is not a statement that dental hygienists cannot practice there.
Confirm supervision requirements with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.
Who regulates dental hygienists in Mississippi?
Dental Hygienists in Mississippi are regulated by the Mississippi 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 have to be present for a dental hygienist to give local anesthesia in Mississippi?
Yes.
ADHA's Local Anesthesia chart lists Mississippi at direct supervision, meaning the dentist must be present, with both block and infiltration injections authorized by rules since 2003.
The chart also lists an exam requirement (CDCA, WREB, or CITA) and a course that must include clinical and didactic components.
Confirm current permit and course rules with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners before enrolling or applying.
Which Mississippi dental hygiene functions carry a two-level supervision cell?
Oral prophylaxis, x-rays, and fluoride are each listed at G/A for Mississippi, general supervision in one setting and direct access in another, split between private and public settings on the ADHA chart.
Pit/fissure sealants and study cast impressions carry a similar two-level cell between general and direct supervision.
The chart does not specify further which setting maps to which level beyond private/public, so confirm the distinction with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.
Does the Mississippi chart list dental hygiene diagnosis or prescriptive authority?
No. Dental hygiene diagnosis, dental hygiene assessment, treatment planning, and prescriptive authority are not listed on the ADHA Practice Act chart for Mississippi, along with placing periodontal dressings, placing sutures, Botox, lasers, vaccines, and dermal fillers.
Not listed means the chart records no supervision level for these functions in Mississippi, a narrower statement than a ban.
Confirm current scope of practice with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.
Can a Mississippi dental hygienist apply silver diamine fluoride without a dentist present?
No. The Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners' February 23, 2018 minutes approved SDF administration by licensed dental hygienists under direct supervision, meaning the dentist must be present, and only after the dentist has diagnosed the case and set the treatment plan.
ADHA cites this alongside section 73-9-5.
Confirm current requirements with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners before applying SDF.
Does Mississippi's SDF approval name silver diamine fluoride specifically, or is it covered under general fluoride rules?
It names silver diamine fluoride directly.
The Board's February 2018 minutes approved hygienists administering SDF by name, under direct supervision and following a dentist's diagnosis and treatment plan, rather than covering it under a general topical-fluoride provision.
ADHA cites section 73-9-5 alongside the minutes.
Verify current rules with the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners before relying on this.
More Mississippi & 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 Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners.