Elizabeth Branca, BA, RDH

Dental Hygienist

An individual who has completed an accredited dental hygiene education program, and an individual who has been licensed by a state board of dental examiners to provide preventive care services under the supervision of a dentist. Functions that may be legally delegated to the dental hygienist vary based on the needs of the dentist, the educational preparation of the dental hygienist and state dental practice acts and regulations, but always include, at a minimum, scaling and polishing the teeth. To avoid misleading the public, no occupational title other than dental hygienist should be used to describe this dental auxiliary.

Advanced Practice Dental Therapist

Mrs. Elizabeth Branca is an Advanced Practice Dental Therapist in Minneapolis, MN with special training and skill in oral procedures that dental therapists are unqualified to perform. As an Advanced Practice Dental Therapist, Elizabeth Branca, BA, RDH performs treatments under the supervision of a licensed dentist through a collaborative agreement for low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients. Advanced Practice Dental Therapy is licensed only in Minnesota and plays a key role in increasing access to dental care and preventing emergency room visits for dental issues. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Advanced Practice Dental Therapists include all Dental Therapist services plus oral evaluation and assessment, treatment plan formulation, non–surgical extraction of certain diseased teeth, and other dental maintenance. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Advanced Practice Dental Therapists include creating treatment plans, non-surgically extracting teeth, and providing medications.

An Advanced Practice Dental Therapist is:
(1) A dental therapist who has completed additional training beyond basic dental therapy education and provides dental services in accordance with state advanced practice dental therapist laws or statutes; or
(2) A dental hygienist with a graduate degree in advanced dental therapy prepared for independent and interdependent decision making and direct accountability for clinical judgment across the dental health care continuum.
The individual has been authorized by the relevant state board or a tribal entity to provide services under the remote supervision of a dentist. The functions of the advanced practice dental therapist vary based on the needs of the dentist, the educational preparation of the advanced practice dental therapist and state dental practice acts and regulations.