HYGIENISTS NOW ABLE TO USE LASERS AFTER COMPLETING COURSE, PASSING EXAMS
Hygienists in Ohio are now permitted to use lasers once they have successfully completed a course on the use of lasers and passed written and clinical competency exams.
The 2024 ODA House of Delegates adopted a policy on laser usage by dental hygienists and directed the ODA Executive Committee to take appropriate actions to implement the policy. The policy states that “the Ohio Dental Association supports the use of lasers for bacterial decontamination/reduction when used by a properly trained and licensed dental hygienist with appropriate supervision as prescribed by the Ohio State Dental Board delegable duties matrix where the procedure is safe, effective and consistent with the dental hygienist’s education and experience.”
“We supported this as it goes hand in hand with the licensure compact as well,” said Dr. Maryann Jacko, chair of the ODA Council on Dental Care Programs and Dental Practice. “Hygienists in Kentucky and Indiana are allowed to utilize lasers, yet Ohio was behind the times. Our laser recommendations hadn’t been updated since 2014. We felt this was essential for the compact as well, per our Cincinnati members who brought it to our attention, as they would utilize hygienists who had dual state licensures but couldn’t provide similar services state to state.”
The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact allows for practice portability between participating Compact states, including Ohio.
The new Ohio State Dental Board laser rule is in line with the ODA’s policy and requires licensed hygienists to successfully complete a course that includes a minimum of 5.5 hours of didactic instruction. They then must complete a written examination and pass with a score of at least 75%. They also must complete 2.5 hours of clinical hands-on training and score at least 75% on a clinical competency exam.
The 2026 ODA Annual Session will offer a course for hygienists that meets all of these requirements and will administer the required tests. The course, “Hygiene Diode Laser Training,” will be offered on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be presented by Joy Raskie, RDH.
This course makes laser science easy to understand and exciting to apply, breaking down the “why” behind laser physics, safety, and clinical use so attendees can feel confident from the start. Attendees will dive into implementing the treatment plan, settings, technique, coding, periodontal anatomy, emergency readiness, and the professional considerations that support safe, ethical use. By the end of training, attendees will walk away with a stronger understanding of laser therapy, greater confidence in their clinical skills, and the motivation to immediately start integrating laser use into their daily hygiene schedule.
This hands-on course has limited attendance, so be sure to register as soon as possible using Course Code S50.
ODA Annual Session will also feature a course aimed at dentists, hygienists and office managers to help them create a step-by-step plan to introduce the use of lasers by hygienists in the dental practice. The course, “Lasers in Hygiene: Why Ohio Hygienists Are Saying YES,” will be offered on Friday, Sept. 18 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and will be presented by Raskie.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how laser technology works, how it has evolved over time, and the differences between systems so they can feel confident when the time comes to invest. Raskie will walk through the most common hygiene procedures performed with a diode laser, what is happening at the tissue level, who the ideal patients are, and the kind of results you can expect. She will also cover the business side including reimbursement, return on investment, and how lasers can increase efficiency and profitability in hygiene.
Register using Course Code F39. This course does not meet the Ohio State Dental Board requirements for dental hygienists to use a laser.
Raskie has over two decades of experience in dental hygiene and is renowned for her expert use of laser technology to improve patient oral health. She has earned numerous laser degrees, culminating in an advanced proficiency in laser dentistry.
For more information and to register for these courses, click here.
Dr. Jayme Glamm, a general dentist in Columbus, previously practiced in Colorado where hygienists could use lasers in a similar way with similar training as the new Ohio rule. She will be introducing the courses at ODA Annual Session.
“I’m excited that my hygienists can get trained,” she said. “I think it’s really exciting for hygienists to have another tool in their toolbox and to offer something unique and high tech to patients. For the dentist, I’ve just seen great results compared to putting an antibiotic or just debriding, it’s that much better. Dentists will see great results, hygienists will be excited to use it.”
Glamm said in her Colorado practice, one way her hygienists used lasers was for patients with gingival inflammation and bleeding.
“We would use a decontamination setting, a non-cutting tip that would go around and kill the bacteria in the pocket. It would help the patient heal and really just kind of turned them around,” she said.
They also used lasers for patients with active periodontal disease when they did scaling and root planning.
“We would use the laser in a curettage setting to remove inflamed tissue out of pocket,” she said. “It was awesome and worked great. We saw really great healing. And then we would do decontamination on perio maintenance visits with upkeep as they were healing and getting back on track.”
Her office also used a laser for patients with cold sores and ulcers.
“Patients really loved that; they didn’t know that was an option,” she said. “For someone who gets herpetic cold sores, it’s embarrassing, painful and this helps it not come back. I had a patient who would get cold sores so bad, and I lasered her three times and she hasn’t had one in three years. That’s powerful.”
She said for the patient, the laser procedures are easy and painless and they just feel some warmth.
“The patients thought it was really cool; they were really into the technology,” Glamm said. “From a patient perspective, it’s easier than getting a full perio probe.”
Interested in learning more? Attend ODA Annual Session!
Joy Raskie, RDH, will be presenting a laser workshop for hygienists and a course for the entire team about incorporating lasers into your practice.
The 2026 ODA Annual Session will be Sept. 17-19 in Columbus and will offer many opportunities for attendees to connect, learn and excel, including CE courses, new technology, exhibitor networking and special events.
Register now by clicking here.
