The GA Board Now approves Clayton State University for Local Anesthesia Courses
(August 28, 2025) - The Georgia Board now approves Clayton State University for Local Anesthesia courses. The new program is called "Licensed to Numb," a Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia Continuing Education (CE) course. Professors Heather Eddy, RDH, and Brandi Clisham, RDH, collaborated in designing this impactful course. Course release dates are coming soon.
Georgia has joined 48 other states that currently permit dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia. The special practice of administering local anesthesia helps facilitate comfort and care when treating patients with chronic gum disease. It leaves patients feeling numb, allowing for improved comfort.
A dental hygienist who completes the “Licensed to Numb" program, under the direct supervision of a Georgia-licensed dentist, may administer local anesthesia for hygiene purposes, including intraoral block anesthesia, soft tissue infiltration anesthesia, or both, to a non-sedated patient who requires local anesthesia for pain management and who is 18 years of age or older.
“Completing a local anesthesia course allows dental hygienists to administer local anesthetics, expanding their scope of practice and enhancing patient care,” said Dr. Naquilla Thomas, Dental Hygiene Department Chair at Clayton State University. “This certification can lead to increased job opportunities, higher earning potential, and greater professional growth. It also makes hygienists more competitive and valuable in today’s dental workforce.”
In the updated curriculum, students will have to participate in 30 lecture hours as well as 30 combined lab and clinical hours to receive their certification in local anesthesia.
“Over two years in the program, they're going to have a minimum number of injections that they have to perform on patients,” Thomas said. “These skills require not only the knowledge of injections; they have to be prepared for adverse events related to these injections.”
To see a video of students receiving hands-on training in the Dental Hygiene Lab, practicing the techniques on fellow students, and an interview with Assistant Prof. Heather Eddy explaining the new program. Visit our Clayton State YouTube Page.
About the Dental Hygiene Program
Clayton State University is one of only two institutions in Georgia to offer a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. Dental hygienists are licensed health care professionals who promote oral health and wellness. Dental hygienists educate patients regarding oral hygiene and preventive oral care.
Hygienists remove plaque, calculus, and stains from teeth; expose and develop dental X-rays; and apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. In some states, they also administer local anesthetics and nitrous oxide; place and carve filling materials, temporary fillings, and periodontal dressings; remove sutures and perform root-planing.
Hygienists may not diagnose diseases, but they can prepare clinical and laboratory diagnostic tests for the dentist to interpret. Hygienists may also work chairside with the dentist during treatment.