An Act To Conform Maine Law to the Requirements of the IO American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1514
Committee Amendment CA_A-SA_A_S524 (Senate)
Amends: 32 MRSA §18345, 32 MRSA §18371, 32 MRSA §18377

SENATE AMENDMENT "A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 
1037, L.D. 1514, Bill, "An Act To Conform Maine Law to the Requirements of the 
IO 
American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation" 
Amend the amendment by striking out everything after the title and inserting the 
following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §18345, sub-§2, 1C, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is 
amended to read: 
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C. For dental hygiene therapist authority: 
(1) Verification of having successfully completed a master's degree in dental 
hy.eieae therapy from an educational program that: 
(a) Is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental 
Accreditation or a successor organization approved by the board; or 
(b) Is a ffHBifffllffl ef 4 semestet'S; 
(e) Is eoasistent w4th the model eurrietillim fer e0t1eatiag dental h-ygieae 
therapists adof)ted by the Amerieaa Assoeiatioa of PHblie Health Dentistry or 
a !'lHSSB!'l!'lAf Af~afli:;z;atim:i: 
(a) Is eoasisteat with existing dental hygiene therapy fJFOgrams in other 
states apfJroved by the board; and 
(e) Meets the requirements for dental a,·gieae therapy education programs 
adopted by board rule; 
(2) 
Verifieatioa of a baehelor's degree or higher in dental hygiene, denta-1 
hygiene theratJy or dental therapy from a sehool aeeredited by the Amerieaa 
Dental Assoeiatioa Commission OB Dental Aeereditatioa er a stieeessor 
3 
or~aaiz3atioa: 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, L.D. 1514 
(3). Verification of passing a clinical examination and all other examinations 
required by board rule. The clinical examination must be a comprehensive, 
competency-based clinical examination approved by the board and administered 
independently of an institution providing dental hygieae therapy education; 
(4) Verification of having engaged in~ 2,500 hours of supervised clinical 
practice under the supervision of a dentist and in conformity with rules adopted 
by the board, during which supervised clinical practice the applicant is authorized 
to practice pursuant to paragraph F. 
For purposes of meeting the clinical requirements of this subparagraph, an 
applicant's hours of supervised clinical experience while enrolled in the dental 
hygieae therapy program under subparagraph (1) may be included as well as 
hours completed under the supervision of a dentist licensed in another state or a 
Canadian province, J'lf0Yieee that as long as the applicant was operating lawfully 
under the laws and rules of that state or province; and 
(5) A copy of the written practice agreement and standing orders required by 
section 18377, subsection 3; 
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §18371, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is 
amended to read: 
5. Supervision of dental therapists. A dentist, referred to in this section as the 
"supervising dentist," who employs or supervises a dental h~·gieae therapist shall comply 
with this subsection. 
A. A supervising dentist shall arrange for another dentist or specialist to provide any 
services needed by a patient of a dental ~·gieae therapist supervised by that dentist 
that are beyond the scope of practice of the dental ~·gieae therapist and that the 
supervising dentist is unable to provide. 
B. The supervising dentist is responsible for all authorized services and procedures 
performed by the dental ~·gieae therapist pursuant to a written practice agreement 
executed by the dentist pursuant to section 18377. 
C. Revisions to a written practice agreement must be documented in a new written 
practice agreement signed by the supervising dentist and the dental ~·gieae therapist. 
D. A supervising dentist who signs a written practice agreement shall file a copy of 
the agreement with the board, keep a copy for the dentist's own records and make a 
copy available to patients of the dental hygieae therapist upon request. 
E. A dentist may not supervise more than 5 dental therapists at one time. 
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §18377, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, 1s 
amended to read: 
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1. 
Scope of practice. 
A dental hygieae therapist may perform the following 
procedures in limited practice settings, if authorized by a written practice agreement with 
a dentist licensed in this State pursuant to subsection 3. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT" A 
"to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, L.D. 1514 
A. To the extent permitted in a written practice agreement, a dental h-ygieae therapist 
may provide the care and services listed in this paragraph only under the Elffeet 
general supervision of the supervising dentist: 
(1) Perform oral health assessments, pulpal disease assessments for primary and 
young teeth, simple cavity preparations and restorations and simple extractions; 
(2) Prepare and place stainless steel crowns and aesthetic anterior crowns for 
primary incisors and prepare, place and remove space maintainers; 
(3) Provide referrals; 
(4) Administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia; 
(5) Perform preventive services; 
( 6) 
Conduct urgent management of dental trauma, perform suturing, extract 
primary teeth and perform nonsurgical extractions of periodontally diseased 
permanent teeth if authorized in advance by the supervising dentist; 
(7) 
Provide, dispense and administer anti-inflammatories, nonprescription 
analgesics, antimicrobials, antibiotics and anticaries materials; 
(8) Administer radiographs; aoo 
(9) Perform other related services and functions authorized by the supervising 
dentist and for which the dental hvll!:ieae therapist is trained~; and 
(10) Perform the procedures listed in section 18374, subsections 1 and 2. 
B. To the eJ(teat J3eanittea ia a writtea f!Faetiee agreemeat, a aeatal h-ygieae therapist 
ma-y f!Foviae the eare aaa serviees list ea ia seetioa 1 83 7 4 . sl:tllseetioas 1 aaa 2 1:1Baer 
the geaeral Slif)ef\·isioa of the Slif)ef\'isiag aeatist. 
Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §18377, sub-§3, ~' as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is 
amended to read: 
B. A dental hygieae therapist may practice only under the Elffeet general supervision 
of a dentist through a written practice agreement signed by both parties. A written 
practice agreement is a signed document that outlines the functions that the dental 
hj·gieae therapist is authorized to perform, which may not exceed the scopes of 
practice specified in subsections 1 and 2. A dental hygieae therapist may practice 
only under the standing order of the supervising dentist, may provide only care that 
follows written protocols and may provide only services that the dental }:p,r~iefle 
therapist is authorized to provide by the written practice agreement. 
Sec. 5. Maine Revised Statutes amended; revision clause. Wherever in the 
Maine Revised Statutes the words "dental hygiene therapist" appear or reference is made 
to those words, they are amended to read or mean, as appropriate, "dental therapist," and 
the Revisor of Statutes shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or 
republishing the statutes. 
Sec. 6. Maine Revised Statutes amended; revision clause. Wherever in the 
Maine Revised Statutes the words "dental hygiene therapy" appear or reference is made 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, L.D. 1514 
I 
to those words, they are amended to read or mean, as appropriate, "dental therapy," and 
the Revisor of Statutes shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or 
republishing the statutes.' ' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment corrects conflicts created by the enactment of Public Law 2015, 
chapter 429, which repealed and replaced the laws governing dental professionals. This 
amendment makes the following changes to the provisions of law enacted in chapter 429: 
I. It changes the term "dental hygiene therapist" to "dental therapist"; 
2. It changes the term "dental hygiene therapy" to "dental therapy"; 
3. It specifies that an applicant who has successfully completed a master's degree, 
instead of a bachelor's degree or higher, in a dental therapy education program that is 
accredited by either the Board of Dental Practice or the American Dental Association 
Commission on Dental Accreditation or a successor organization approved by the board 
meets the requirements for having completed a dental therapy education program; 
4. It increases the number of hours of supervised clinical practice that an applicant 
for dental therapist authority must complete from 2,000 to 2,500; 
5. It removes the requirements that a dental therapy education program be consistent 
with a specified model curriculum, be consistent with programs in other states and be 
approved by the board; 
6. It limits to 5 the number of dental therapists that a single dentist may supervise at 
one time; and 
7. 
It removes the requirement that a dental therapist practice under the direct 
supervision of a dentist:a~ 
SPONSORED BY: 
~ •  ~ 
(Senator BURNS) 
COUNTY: Washington 
SENATE AMENDMENT