^{By Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA
Originally published April 30, 2026}

I recently received the following question from a dental hygienist in Oregon:

I am seeking a clarification regarding the scope of practice for medical assistants in Oregon. I’ve had a dentist inform me that a medical assistant may perform injections under the direct supervision of a doctor. I am looking for the legalities and responsibilities of this. I cannot easily find this on the medical board website. Do you have any information you can share [about] the scope of practice for [medical assistants] in Oregon?

A statement of philosophy from the Oregon Medical Board states that medical assistants are classified as unlicensed allied health personnel under the Oregon Medical Practice Act and the regulations of the Oregon Medical Board. The opinion of the Oregon Medical Board applies to unlicensed personnel such as medical assistants working under physician (MD [Doctor of Medicine] and DO [Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine]) and physician assistant authority and supervision.

The scope of practice for medical assistants depends to some extent on the licensed provider under whose authority and supervision the medical assistant is working. Although the majority of medical assistants work under the authority of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, a small number of medical assistants work under the authority of podiatrists, optometrists, pharmacists, and dentists (especially oral surgeons, who may be either MDs/DOs, DMDs [Doctors of Dental Medicine]/DDSs [Doctors of Dental Surgery], or both).

So, the first-level answer to your question is that Oregon law permits physicians and physician assistants to delegate to knowledgeable and competent medical assistants working under their direct/on-site supervision—and in accordance with the position paper of the Oregon Medical Board—the administration of injections. (I will not address nurse practitioners.)

However, here is the difficult part. Medical assistants who work under the authority and supervision of a dentist are functioning as dental assistants—not medical assistants—even though they may have a medical assisting credential such as the CMA (AAMA)^®. Thus, medical assistants’ scope of practice when working under a DDS or DMD would be determined by the Oregon Dental Practice Act and the regulations of the Oregon Board of Dental Examiners. I used to work for the American Dental Assistants Association and remember that dental assistants must have the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credential to perform certain expanded duties under dentist supervision. I checked and that seems to still be the case under Oregon dental law.

So, whether a medical assistant working as a dental assistant is permitted to be delegated the administration of injections by a dentist depends on the Dental Practice Act and the regulations of the Oregon Board of Dentistry.