SB 181

This bill provides for the licensure of dental therapists, who are health care

practitioners who may engage in the limited practice of dentistry.

Under current law, dentists and dental hygienists are licensed by the Dentistry

Examining Board to practice dentistry and dental hygiene, respectively. This bill

provides for the licensure of a third type of dental practitioner, dental therapists.

Under the bill, the board must grant a dental therapist license to an individual who

satisfies certain criteria, including completion of an approved dental therapy

program and passage of required examinations.

Dental therapists may provide dental therapy services only under the

supervision of a dentist with whom the dental therapist has a collaborative

management agreement that addresses various aspects of the dental therapist's

practice. Dental therapists are, subject to the terms of a collaborative management

agreement and what was covered in their dental therapy education program, limited

to providing services, treatments, and procedures that are specified in the bill, as

well as additional services, treatments, or procedures specified by the board by rule.

Dental therapists may initially provide dental therapy services only under the direct

or indirect supervision of a qualifying dentist. Once a dental therapist licensed has

provided dental therapy services for at least 2,000 hours, the dental therapist may

provide services under the general supervision of a qualifying dentist. However, the

level of supervision for a dental therapist may be further limited under the terms of

a collaborative management agreement. Dental therapists must also, under the bill,

either 1) limit their practice to federally defined dental shortage areas or 2) practice

in settings where at least 50 percent of their patient base consists of certain specified

populations. Dental therapists must complete 12 hours of continuing education each

biennium.

The bill subjects dental therapists to, or covers dental therapists under, various

other laws, including the health care records law, the volunteer health care provider

program, the health care worker protection law, and the emergency volunteer health

care practitioner law. The bill also provides for loan forgiveness for dental therapists

under the health care provider loan assistance program.

Finally, the bill requires, effective when 50 individuals become licensed as a

dental therapist in this state or five years after the bill is enacted, that, to the extent

possible, one of the dental hygienist members on the board also be licensed as a

dental therapist.