House Committee shows support for Dental Therapy by recommending ‘Do Pass’ on HB 1426
The House Human Services Committee recommends a “Do Pass” for House Bill 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), 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 date for voting on this bill on the House Floor has not yet been set.
Support for Dental Therapy from The MinuteMan Blog
North Dakotans for Dental Access received a boost of support in the media this week. The MinuteMan Blog wrote a post advocating that Dental Therapy should be legalized in North Dakota. To read their rationale behind supporting this midlevel provider,
click here. As well, the Jamestown Sun opinion page ran this
letter to the editor laying out some of the reasons why dental hygienists in the state support 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 North Dakota Dental Hygienists’ Association to United Tribes of North Dakota, from AARP to Americans for Tax Reform and many more in between!
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.
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 Dakota
Spirit Lake Tribe
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Three Affiliated Tribes of Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians