FDA Opposes Dental Therapy Legislation

Feb 9, 2024
The FDA opposes legislation filed to create dental therapists in Florida, which includes SB 684 and SB 686 by Sen. Brandes, HB 649 by Rep. Plasencia and HB 471 by Rep. Fernandez-Barquin.
This legislation will allow a lesser trained individual to perform irreversible surgical procedures, such as extractions and partial root canals, under general supervision. Dentists are educated and trained to provide comprehensive dental care and are equipped with the experience and knowledge to manage other underlying health issues that many patients present during treatment; however, dental therapists are not. Licensing and regulating a new licensed dental provider is not the solution to increasing access to dental
care in Florida. The implementation process alone to create a new licensed dental provider could take up to five years.

Be sure to let your legislators know you oppose these bills. Go to the FDA’s Legislative Action Center to respond to the call-to-action. For more information, visit dentalhealthfl.org.

Capital Report, Vol. 26, No. 2 - March 8, 2019