Mich. governor signs dental therapist bill

DrBicuspid.com staff writers
Jan 1, 2019

Michigan has become the eighth U.S. state to allow dental therapists to practice.

On December 16, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed SB 541, which was sponsored by then-state Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) (Shirkey is now a state senator in Michigan). The law establishes the qualifications for dental therapist licensure, including 500 hours of supervised clinical practice under the direct supervision of a dentist. Dental therapists must have a written practice agreement with a supervising dentist to practice.

Currently, dental therapists are licensed in Arizona, Maine, Vermont, and Minnesota and on tribal lands in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

Latest in Dental Therapists
Dental therapist Sarah Chagnon treats a patient at the Swinomish Dental Clinic in La Conner, WA, as part of a school-based 'sealant week' program. More states are considering authorizing licensures of dental health aide therapists, also known as dental therapists. Experts say the midlevel practitioners can help fill gaps in access to dental health care. Image courtesy of Swinomish Dental Clinic.
Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states
July 19, 2024
Money Bag Grant Award
NTC gets $2M to create 1st dental therapy training program
May 16, 2024
Dental Student Clinic
Maine university may create a dental therapy degree program
July 7, 2023
Dental Hygienist Boy
Dental therapy scholarships available in Mich.
March 29, 2023
Related Stories
2019 07 03 00 29 7820 Money Dollar Bandaid 400
Dental Practice
Mich. raises bonuses to lure dentists to state facilities
2017 04 19 14 28 18 163 Dentist Woman 400
Dental Therapists
Colo. may consider licensing dental therapists
2016 09 15 14 21 56 951 Dental Team 400
Dental Therapists
AP story chronicles dental therapist challenges
2016 10 12 14 41 06 881 Dr B Second Opinion 400
Dental Therapists
Second Opinion: Dental therapists, teledentistry, and the ultimate win-win
More in Dental Therapists
Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states
By Nada Hassanein
During a game of Red Rover when she was 16 years old, Rochelle "Roz" Siuvuq Ferry lost a front tooth. Ferry, who is Inupiaq, remembers getting on a plane to get from her remote Alaskan village to the city of Nome to start the tooth replacement process.
July 19, 2024
Dental therapist Sarah Chagnon treats a patient at the Swinomish Dental Clinic in La Conner, WA, as part of a school-based 'sealant week' program. More states are considering authorizing licensures of dental health aide therapists, also known as dental therapists. Experts say the midlevel practitioners can help fill gaps in access to dental health care. Image courtesy of Swinomish Dental Clinic.
NTC gets $2M to create 1st dental therapy training program
By DrBicuspid.com staff writers
Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau, WI, will receive a $2.2 million grant to establish the state's inaugural dental therapy training program.
May 16, 2024
Money Bag Grant Award
Maine university may create a dental therapy degree program
By Melissa Busch
A law in Maine has directed the University of Maine in Augusta to study the feasibility of establishing a dental therapy degree program.
July 7, 2023
Dental Student Clinic
Dental therapy scholarships available in Mich.
By DrBicuspid.com staff writers
Scholarships are available to aspiring dental therapists who will work in Michigan after graduation.
March 29, 2023
Dental Hygienist Boy
ADTA joins NPDT as co-chair
By DrBicuspid.com staff writers
The National Partnership for Dental Therapy (NPDT) has added a new co-chair to its organization, the American Dental Therapy Association (ADTA).
March 6, 2023
2020 03 03 00 02 3000 Dentist Hygienist Tools 400
U.S. court rules dental therapists can receive Medicaid payments
By Melissa Busch
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled that dental health aide therapists in tribal communities in Washington can receive reimbursements from Medicaid, reversing a last-minute decision by the Trump administration.
January 22, 2023
2021 05 14 16 00 7776 Scales Of Justice2 400
U.S. lawmakers may allow funding for dental therapists
By Melissa Busch
U.S. legislators are considering a proposed appropriations bill of approximately $1.4 trillion that includes a provision which, if approved, would permit federal funding for dental therapists in the fiscal year 2023.
December 8, 2022
2022 10 19 16 28 5571 Dental Team Patient 400
Debate to Better Dentistry: Dental therapists
By Drs. Michael W. Davis, Paul Casamassimo, and Frank Catalanotto
In this new series hosted by Dr. Michael W. Davis, two prominent leaders in the dental profession answer the same questions about a hotly contested topic in the dental profession. Today's debate is on dental therapy and features Drs. Paul Casamassimo and Frank Catalanotto.
December 5, 2022
2021 07 30 15 43 1030 Dentist Girl Polish 400
Dental therapists may be key to serving more patients
By Melissa Busch
Dental therapists contributed to delivering dental care to patients in Alaska, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. The number of diagnostic, preventive, and restorative services in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta rose since the introduction of dental therapy.
October 18, 2022
2022 10 19 16 28 5571 Dental Team Patient 400
Global hygienists share thoughts on expanded scope of practice
By Alex Dagostino
In an online survey, dental hygienists from 26 countries shared their thoughts on their scope of practice. Researchers summarized their competencies and legal position regarding local anesthesia and caries treatment in a report that was published on October 17 in the International Dental Journal.
October 18, 2022
2020 09 18 17 07 5677 Dentist Patient Hygienist 400
Dental assistants in the U.S. face new laws, regulatory shifts
By Melissa Busch
In 2021 and 2022, several states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia enacted legislative and regulatory changes affecting dental assistants, according to the Dental Assisting National Board's "State of the States" report.
October 12, 2022
2019 07 03 18 37 7490 Dental Assistant Woman 400
Skagit Valley College dental therapy program receives accreditation
By DrBicuspid.com staff writers
Community Catalyst is celebrating Skagit Valley College receiving accreditation for its dental therapy program by the ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation.
September 8, 2022
2022 08 26 15 25 1738 Dental Chair Empty 400
Page 1 of 12
Next Page