Arizona has become the seventh state to allow dental therapists to practice.
On May 16, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed HB 2235, which was sponsored by state Rep. Bob Thorpe (R-Flagstaff). The law requires that a dental therapist be a licensed dental hygienist who graduates from an accredited dental therapy program and must complete 1,000 hours of dental therapy clinical practice under the direct supervision of a dentist.
Currently, dental therapists are licensed in Maine, Vermont, and Minnesota, and on tribal lands in Oregon, Washington state, and Alaska.
