The Florida House of Representatives has passed a bill authorizing the creation of dental therapists in the state, according to a Feb. 5 report from Florida Politics.
House Bill 363 allows dental therapists to administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide, as well as complete nonsurgical tooth extractions.
Dental therapists in Florida would have to graduate from a dental therapy school or a college accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, be at least 18 years old and have a clean criminal background.
Supporters of the bill claim that dental therapists will help with the dentist shortage in Florida, while others feel patient health could be at risk.
The Department of Health and Board of Dentistry would regulate and license dental therapists in the state.
The bill passed with a vote of 80-29. There is currently no companion bill filed in the Florida Senate, the report said.
There have been numerous efforts to pass a dental therapy bill in Florida, which have previously failed.
