Staffing Issues

The Arizona Senate recently passed a bill that would create the role of oral preventive assistant in the state.

Dakota College at Bottineau (North Dakota) has launched a dental hygiene program after receiving accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The West Virginia Board of Dentistry recently pushed for an amendment to a bill that would grant universal licensure for dental professionals entering the state, therealwv.com reported March 4. 

A bill in the Kentucky legislature aims to expand the locations where dental hygienists are permitted to practice as public health hygienists, according to a March 3 report from Public News Service.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has put forward legislation to remove license application and renewal fees for certain occupations, including dental hygienists.

Seven states have recently introduced legislation to join the Instate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact created by the American Association of Dental Boards.

Arizona legislators are currently considering a bill that would enter the state into the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact. 

The Georgia House Health Committee unanimously passed a bill to help dental schools in Augusta and Savannah, Ga., to recruit faculty members, according to a Feb. 20 report from Savannah Morning News.

There are currently 7,085 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to new data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The Florida Dental Association is opposed to a bill that would establish dental therapists in Florida, according to a Feb. 17 report from the Tampa Bay Times.