Here are seven updates on dental scope of practice laws from 2026:
1. A proposed rule published in the Missouri Register Sept. 15 would add a new “periodontal” category of expanded functions for dental assistants holding a periodontal permit. The Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association and a licensed dental hygienist filed a lawsuit seeking to block the rule in October, citing conflicts with several state statutes.
2. Several states have expanded the clinical tasks dental assistants may perform this year. Alabama and North Dakota added coronal polishing, while Alabama also added pit and fissure sealant placement. Florida expanded delegable tasks to include polishing clinical crowns with a rotary instrument and removing and placing certain implant components. Virginia now allows dental assistants with 1,800 clinical hours to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing under dentist supervision.
3. Washington state authorized dental assistants to apply silver diamine fluoride to children in school-based and school-linked programs under general dentist supervision. South Carolina similarly expanded dental assistant scope in school settings, allowing oral screenings using a state-approved system.
4. The Delaware General Assembly passed a bill to expand the scope of practice for dental hygienists in the state. Senate Bill 283 would make several additions to the list of services hygienists are able to provide, including administering and dispensing topical agents under the general supervision of a dentist, directly supervising dental assistants, and providing direct access to prophylaxis without the need for a dentist to examine a patient beforehand if a dentist will see the patient within 12 months of the patient receiving treatment.
5. Connecticut House Bill 5140 aims to increase access to dental care for patients who may have trouble visiting a practice, such as elderly patients or patients with disabilities. Connecticut currently allows hygienists to provide services at public health facilities without dentist supervision. The new legislation would allow hygienists to provide services inside of homes without general supervision from a dentist. These services would include cleanings, sealings and hygienic assessments. Hygienists would be required to refer patients to a dentist if a patients’ needs exceed their scope of practice.
6. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association plans to focus on advancing hygiene as an autonomous, prevention-driven profession, outlining several initiatives as part of its 2026-28 Strategic Plan March 11. The ADHA said that within its professional autonomy goal, it intends to promote the hygiene profession as one capable of operating independently across a wider range of settings.
7. Idaho House Bill 805 would allow dental hygienists to perform all dental services within the hygienist’s education, training and experience, as well as services delegated to the hygienist by a supervising dentist.
