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Licensing

Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC)

In 2011, House Bill 187 created a Community Dental Health Coordinator – a dental assistant, hygienist or other trained personnel certified by the board to provide educational, preventive and limited palliative care and assessment services working collaboratively under the general supervision of a dentist in community settings, dental offices and clinics.

Allowable services include:

  • Place temporary and sedative restorative material in unexcavated carious lesions and unprepared tooth fractures;
  • Collect and transmit diagnostic data and images via telemetric connection;
  • Dispense and apply medications on the specific order of a dentist;
  • Provide limited palliative procedures for the dental emergencies in consultation with a supervising dentist as allowable by the rules;
  • Perform other related functions for which the CDHC meets educational standards established by the board and that are not prohibited by statute or rules.

Education and Examination Requirements for the CDHC:

  • Shall have a high school diploma or college level degree;
  • Shall have board certification in radiography, coronal polishing, topical fluoride and pit and fissure application expanded functions;
  • Shall have attended a board approved CDHC program.

For information regarding additional requirements, refer to the New Mexico Statute and Rules.

For an application and further information, contact:

New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care and the New Mexico Dental Hygienists Committee
Toney Anaya Building
2550 Cerrillos Rd.
Santa Fe, NM 87504-5101
Phone: 505-476-4680
Fax: 505-476-4545
Website: www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Dental_Health_Care.aspx
Email: dental.board@state.nm.us