House Bill 1426 proposes adding Dental Therapy as option in ND
Rep. Bill Devlin (R-Finley) is the prime sponsor on
HB 1426, that would add the option of hiring a dental therapist to certain healthcare settings within North Dakota, thereby improving access to quality dental care to those who need it the most in the state. Those providers include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), FQHC look-alikes, non-profit dental practices, practices that serve under the authorization of Indian Health Services, or similar organizations. The bill would require a written collaborative management agreement between a dentist and a dental therapist that would lay out the scope of practice that could be done by the dental therapist, within the bill’s guidelines.
House Bill 1426 requires the dental therapist to be a graduate of a state board approved dental therapy education program, as accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation. The therapist would also have to pass state exams to demonstrate competency in dental therapy and complete 500 hours of clinical practice under the supervision of a dentist. A hearing date/time in front of the
House Human Services Committee for HB 1426 has not been set.
North Dakotans for Dental Access Coalition supports HB 1426
North Dakota’s coalition of 24 organizations who support increasing access to dental care are in favor of HB 1426, to allow dentists in certain settings to hire qualified dental therapists.
North Dakotans for Dental Access is made up of a wide range of supporters, from the states’ dental hygienists’ association, to United Tribes of North Dakota, to AARP and many more in between! Since some 97,000 North Dakotans live in an area with a shortage of dentists,
dental therapists can provide increased access to dental care to elderly people, children, those in poverty, Native Americans and those without insurance.
Click here to view why concerned organizations across the state support dental therapy as a mid-level provider of dental care in North Dakota. Eight states across the country have authorized dental therapy in some capacity, including Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, and tribal communities in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. Join us in
supporting dental therapy in North Dakota by supporting HB 1426!
List of HB 1426 Supporters, North Dakotans for Dental Access
AARP North Dakota
Alliance for Health Care Access (Grand Forks)
Community Action Partnership of ND
Family Voices of ND
Fargo-Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons
North Dakota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
North Dakota Dental Hygienists’ Association
North Dakota Nurses Association
North Dakota Nurse Practitioners Association
North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project
North Dakota Public Health Association
North Dakota Rural Health Association
North Dakota State Association of City and County Health Officers
North Dakota Women’s Network
Northland Health Centers
Third Street Clinic (Grand Forks)
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
The Pew Charitable Trusts
United Tribes of North
Spirit Lake Tribe
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Three Affiliated Tribes of Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians