Washington state Rep. Eileen Cody, chair of the House Committee on Health Care and Wellness, drafted a bill in September designed to pave the way for advanced dental therapists in the state, according to the Washington State Dental Association (WSDA).
The bill, which will be introduced in 2011, would allow unsupervised practice for extractions, restorations, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
The Washington State Dental Hygienists' Association has announced its intention to submit similar legislation, according to the WSDA.
The WSDA opposes both measures and said it will not introduce any midlevel provider legislation, according to the WSDA News (October 2010, p. 25).
At the WSDA's 2010 House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in September, the HOD amended resolution HD-9S-2010 so that is now includes specific language regarding workforce issues.
"WSDA's House of Delegates has established parameters for consideration of any new dental workforce proposals," the association noted in the WSDA News. "Patient safety and quality of treatment require these standards and WSDA strongly opposes any midlevel dental provider legislation that does not include these restrictions."
As revised, HD-9S-2010 now reads:
RESOLVED, that the Washington State Dental Association considers these parameters to be paramount when evaluating any dental workforce proposal:
- The dentist is the sole oral health professional authorized to diagnose and prescribe treatment for patients.
- Close onsite supervision is required by the dentist for any expanded function.
- General supervision may be allowed for procedures that are authorized by statutes when approved by the dentist based on the dentist's determination of competency.
- Regulation of dental workforce will be the responsibility of the Dental Quality Assurance Commission.
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