An Act To Conform Maine Law to the Requirements of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1514
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H654 (House)
Amends: 32 MRSA §18345, 32 MRSA §18371, 32 MRSA §18377

HOUSE AMENDMENT • .ff:to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, 
L.D. 1514, Bill, "An Act To Conform Maine Law to the Requirements of the American 
Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation" 
Amend the amendment by striking out everything after the first occurrence of 
"Amend the bill" and inserting the following: 
'by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting 
the following: 
'Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §18345, sub-§2, ,re, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is 
amended to read: 
C. For dental hygieRe therapist authority: 
(1) Verification of having successfully completed a bachelor's degree or higher 
in dental hj•giese 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 
(h) ls a HHftit'ffi:Uil of 4 semesters; 
(e) ls eoB.Sisteflt with the model e1:HTiel:lh:1m fer edl:learisg deatal J:i.ygiese . 
therapists adoJ)ted hy the Amerieas Assoeiati0ft of PHelie Health Deatistry or 
a flHSSBflf,Of or~aRi,r:atioR: 
(d) 
ls eossisteflt with e1dstisg destal hygiese theraJ)~' J)FOgrams is other 
states af)i3roved hy the heard; asd 
( e) Meets the requirements for dental J:i.ygiese therapy education programs 
adopted by board rule; 
(2) 
Verifieatios of a baehelor's degree or higher is deatal J:i.ygiese, deatal 
hj•giese theraJ)y or deatal theraJ)y from a sehool aeeredited by the A.meriean. 
Destal Assoeiatios CofflHlissios os Destal Aeereditatios or a Sl:leeessor 
oreasi2:atios: 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT ·fr':· 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 hygiene therapy education; 
(4) 
Verification of having engaged in at least 2 years and 2,000 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 
hygiene 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, pro,1ided 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 hygieae 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 hygiene therapist supervised by that dentist 
that are beyond the scope of practice of the dental hygiene 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 hygiene 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 hygiene 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 hygiene 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, is 
amended to read: 
1. 
Scope of practice. 
A dental h;•giene 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. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT "k; to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, L.D. 1514 
A. To the extent permitted in a written practice agreement, a dental hygieae therapist 
may provide the care and services listed in this paragraph only under the direet 
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; aad 
(9) Perform other related services and functions authorized by the supervising 
dentist and for which the dental h-y~ieae therapist is trained~; and 
(10) Perform the procedures listed in section 18374. subsections 1 and 2. 
B. To ilie eJtteat permitted ia a vffittea praetiee agreemeat, a deatal hygieae Hlefaf)ist 
may f)FOYide the eare and serviees listed ia seetioa 18374, sooseetioas 1 and 2 ooder 
the geaeral Sl:lf)ervisioa of ilie Sl:lf)ervisHl:g deatist. 
Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §18377, sub-§3, ,B, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is 
amended to read: 
B. A dental hygieae therapist may practice only under the direet 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 hv~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 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT ",fl<.to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1037, L.D. 1514 
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 oflaw enacted in chapter 429: 
1. It changes 1he 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 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 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; 
5. It requires that an applicant for a dental therapy license engage in at least 2 years 
as well as 2,000 hours of supervised clinical practice; 
6. It limits to 5 the number of dental therapists that a single dentist may supervise at 
one time; and 
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supervision of a dentist. 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Representative MASTRACCIO) 
TOWN: Sanford 
HOUSE AMENDMENT