Massachusetts lawmakers will be considering a bill to allow a type of midlevel provider, called public health dental practitioners, to practice in the state.
The state Senate bill, SD 168, was filed by Sen. Michael Moore (D-Second Worcester) on January 12. If passed, it would allow public health dental practitioners to practice in federally qualified health centers and dental-health-provider-shortage areas under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
The bill notes that public health dental practitioners must be a licensed dental professional, such as a dental assistant or registered dental hygienist, who has a degree from a graduate level program. The practitioners would be able to perform the following treatments:
- Prepare and place direct restorations in primary and permanent teeth
- Fabricate and place singe-tooth temporary crowns
- Perform indirect and direct pulp capping on permanent teeth, as well as indirect pulp capping on primary teeth
