Can a certified dental assistant take a radiograph of a hygiene patient if the dentist is out of the office? Does the dentist have to assign the taking of the radiograph directly to the dental assistant or is it seen to be part of the standing order for a recall?

Dentists must prescribe radiographs for individual patients, based on patient-specific need. As advised by the RCDSO, the dentist must first examine the patient before ordering a radiograph. The dentist does not have to be in the office when the radiograph is taken by a HARP-approved assistant.There cannot be office protocol for taking radiographs on an inflexible time basis. If a dentist has prescribed a radiograph at the previous recall visit to be taken at the current visit (and this should be documented in the patient’s record), the dentist does not have to be present when the dental assistant takes the radiograph.