Generally, under current law, to practice dentistry in Wisconsin, a person must
be licensed as a dentist by the Dentistry Examining Board. Current law defines
"dentistry" as "the examination, diagnosis, treatment, planning or care of conditions
within the human oral cavity or its adjacent tissues and structures." The definition
of dentistry under current law further specifies a number of activities that constitute
dentistry, including extracting teeth or correcting their malposition; prescribing or
administering drugs, including anesthetics, in conjunction with providing purported
dental services; engaging in any of the practices, techniques, or procedures included
in the curricula of accredited dental schools; or penetrating, piercing, or severing the
tissues within the human oral cavity or adjacent associated structures.

This bill replaces that definition and defines "dentistry" to mean "the
examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment, including surgery, of
diseases, disorders, or conditions of the human oral cavity or its adjacent or
associated tissues and structures, or of the maxillofacial area, and their impact on
the human body."

---

The bill also provides that a licensed dentist may not perform dental services
that are outside the scope of the dentist's relevant education, training, and
experience, and the bill excludes from the dentistry licensing requirement any
physician who is licensed in this state to the extent that the physician is acting within
the scope of his or her license. Current law excludes a physician only to the extent
that he or she extracts teeth or performs other activities specified by statute.