Rep. Danny Short

According to the American Dental Association, approximately 1/3 of Americans face challenges accessing dental care, where access challenges include difficulty getting to a dental office and overcoming financial barriers. In order to increase access to basic dental services, this bill will allow for dental hygienists to travel to certain facilities and provide dental hygiene services. Under existing law, a dental hygienist may only act under the general supervision of a dentist in the dental office, state institutions, or schools. Prior to offering these services, the facility owner/operator and the patient/legal guardian must approve of the dental services to be provided, and adequate safeguards must be provided, including the referral to a licensed dentist for consultation. This bill also updates the definition of the practice of dental hygiene services.