The Vermont Senate passed a bill on Friday, April 3, that would allow licensed dental therapists to practice in the state.
The bill, S 20, passed the Senate with a vote of 18 to 4. The bill would require current dental hygienists to complete an additional year of classes and 1,000 clinical training hours before they could practice. A similar bill that was considered last year in Vermont would have required the same additional year of classes and 400 hours of clinical training.
The bill now moves to Vermont's House of Representatives. If passed by the House and signed by the governor, Vermont would become the third state to license midlevel providers.
