A bill introduced in the Connecticut House of Representatives would launch a one-year advanced dental hygiene practitioner (ADHP) pilot program in Hartford, CT. The bill, backed by the Connecticut Dental Hygienists' Association, would allow hygienists with a master's degree in advanced dental hygiene practice to prepare and restore teeth and to "perform nonsurgical extractions on mobile, exfoliating, primary, and permanent teeth."
The hygienists would practice in collaboration with dentists, but not under their supervision. The program would last from July 1, 2011, until July 1, 2012.
Bills to license ADHPs in Connecticut have failed in the past under opposition from the Connecticut State Dental Association, which has instead proposed pilot programs for dental therapists, who would require less extensive training than ADHPs.
The ADHP bill is currently before the Joint Committee on Human Services.
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