The authorization of dental therapists is expected to be up for consideration again during Florida’s 2026 legislative session, but pushback from the Florida Dental Association could hinder this initiative once more, Florida Politics reported Sept. 22.
Six notes:
1. The Florida Dental Association has opposed dental therapy in the state for the past several years, citing concerns about the quality of care that would be provided by dental therapists and the cost of creating a certification program.
2. The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill to authorize dental therapy during the 2025 legislative session, but the bill did not make it through the Senate after pushback from the Florida Dental Association.
3. Hundreds of other organizations support dental therapy in the state as a way to increase dental access, including Floridians for Dental Access, the American Children’s Campaign and the Florida Dental Hygienists’ Association.
4. Policymakers and oral health advocates are currently working to come up with solutions to the state’s accessibility challenges as the state’s population continues to increase.
5. More than 146,000 Florida residents visited emergency departments for dental issues in 2024, a 25% increase from 2021.
6. Florida also has a low dentist-to-population ratio, with just 52.4 dentists per 100,000 residents as of August, Florida Politics reported.
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