Described as experiencing a “dental crisis” by its local press, Florida lawmakers introduced House Bill 21 on Feb. 11 as a solution: a three-year dental therapist certification, contrasting with the usual eight years required to become a dentist. The bill, expected to cost about US$156,108 to implement, would authorize dental therapists to provide services under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
In an interview with Bay News 9, Frank Catalanotto, president of the grassroots organization Floridians for Dental Access, explained that therapists would handle routine dental work, while more complex procedures would be performed by a dentist. He also noted in another interview with Tampa Bay Times that 14 states have laws licensing dental therapists to treat patients, alongside dozens of industrialized countries.
Alarming dental stats
The bill’s analysis indicates that, as of Dec. 31, nearly 5.9 million Floridians reside in one of the 274 dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). An HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or health care facility designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration as having a shortage of health professionals.
This lack of access to dental care is reflected in alarming statistics.
A 2023 report by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health found that children in Florida aged 14 and younger seek dental care through emergency departments for non-traumatic dental conditions at one of the highest rates in the country. The report also found that Florida hospitals were billed nearly US$550 million for treating non-traumatic dental conditions in 2021 alone.
Opposition
The bill, which passed 14-1 in the House Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee, also highlighted disparities such as two counties, Dixie and Glades, not having any licensed dentists, while other counties have more than 80 dentists per 100,000 residents.
Like Catalanotto, Roy Miller, president of the Tallahassee nonprofit American Children’s Campaign, is also lending his full support to the bill. “We intend on winning this,” Miller told the Tampa Bay Times.
However, the bill has already faced opposition from some dental associations, who have their own suggestions, such as expanding the dental student loan repayment program by allowing some loan forgiveness if students offer services to Medicaid patients. Some have also suggested expanding training for dental hygienists and dental assistants.
