An Act to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1615
Sponsors: RANA, TALBOT ROSS, FECTEAU, DAUGHTRY
Amends: 32 MRSA §18302, 32 MRSA §18342, 32 MRSA §18371

Legislative Document
No. 1615
H.P. 1069
House of Representatives, April 15, 2025
An Act to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New 
Path for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 11, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative RANA of Bangor.
Cosponsored by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, DUCHARME of Madison, Speaker FECTEAU of 
Biddeford, FOLEY of Wells, ROEDER of Bangor, Senators: BALDACCI of Penobscot, 
President DAUGHTRY of Cumberland, MOORE of Washington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §18302, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
3-A.  Adjunct dentist.  "Adjunct dentist" means an individual who holds a valid 
adjunct dentist license issued by the board.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §18302, sub-§3-B is enacted to read:
3-B.  Adjunct dentist license.  "Adjunct dentist license" means the authority granted 
to an individual who is a graduate of a dental school or college, who is not licensed to 
practice dentistry in this State and who is authorized to practice under the general 
supervision of a dentist in a board-approved setting in accordance with this chapter.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §18342, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 163, §1, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Dentist license.  Except as provided in section 18347, an applicant for licensure as 
a dentist must comply with the provisions of section 18341 and must provide:
A.  Verification of either a doctoral degree in dentistry from a dental program 
accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation 
or its successor organization or the educational equivalent of a doctoral degree in 
dentistry, as determined by the board.  If the applicant holds an adjunct dentist license 
in good standing and provides verification that the applicant has actively practiced 
during the 3 consecutive years immediately preceding application to the board, that 
applicant is deemed to be in compliance with this paragraph; and
B.  Verification of passing all examinations required by the board.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §18342, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7.  Adjunct dentist license.  An applicant for an adjunct dentist license must comply 
with section 18341 and must provide:
A.  Verification of a degree in dentistry from a dental school or college;
B.  Verification of passing all examinations required by the board;
C.  Verification that the applicant will be practicing dentistry in a board-approved 
setting within the State; and
D.  A statement from the supervising dentist under section 18371, subsection 5 that 
demonstrates that the general supervision and control of the services to be performed 
by the applicant are adequate and that the performance of these services are within the 
applicant's dental knowledge and skill.
Sec. 5.  32 MRSA §18371, sub-§2, ¶F is enacted to read:
F.  An individual with an adjunct dentist license may provide dental services only in 
the board-approved setting for which the license was issued by the board and if 
authorized by a written practice agreement under the general supervision of a dentist 
licensed in this State pursuant to subsection 7.
Sec. 6.  32 MRSA §18371, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2019, c. 388, §9, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Supervision of dental therapists and adjunct dentists.  A dentist, referred to in 
this section as the "the supervising dentist," who employs a dental therapist or adjunct 
dentist 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 therapist or adjunct dentist supervised by that 
dentist that are beyond the scope of practice of the dental therapist or adjunct dentist 
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 therapist pursuant to a written practice agreement executed by 
the dentist pursuant to section 18377.
B-1.  The supervising dentist is responsible for all authorized services and procedures 
performed by the adjunct dentist pursuant to a written practice agreement executed by 
the dentist pursuant to subsection 7.
C.  Revisions to a written practice agreement must be documented in a new written 
practice agreement signed by the supervising dentist and the dental therapist or adjunct 
dentist.
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 therapist or adjunct dentist upon request.
Sec. 7.  32 MRSA §18371, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7.  Adjunct dentist practice requirements.  An adjunct dentist must comply with the 
following practice limitations.
A.  An adjunct dentist may practice under the general supervision of a dentist pursuant 
to a written practice agreement signed by both parties. A written practice agreement is 
a signed document that outlines the functions that the adjunct dentist is authorized to 
perform. An adjunct dentist 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 adjunct dentist is authorized to provide by the written 
practice agreement.
B.  A written practice agreement between a supervising dentist and an adjunct dentist 
must include the following elements:
(1)  The services and procedures and the practice settings for those services and 
procedures that the adjunct dentist may provide, together with any limitations on 
those services and procedures;
(2)  Any age-specific and procedure-specific practice protocols, including case 
selection criteria, assessment guidelines and imaging frequency;
(3)  Procedures to be used with patients treated by the adjunct dentist for obtaining 
informed consent and for creating and maintaining dental records;
(4)  A plan for managing medical emergencies in each practice setting in which the 
adjunct dentist provides care;
(5)  A quality assurance plan for monitoring care, including patient care review, 
referral follow-up and a quality assurance chart review;
(6)  Protocols for administering and dispensing medications, including the specific 
circumstances under which medications may be administered and dispensed; 
(7)  Criteria for providing care to patients with specific medical conditions or 
complex medical histories; and
(8)  Specific written protocols, including a plan for providing clinical resources 
and referrals, governing situations in which the patient requires treatment that 
exceeds the scope of practice or capabilities of the adjunct dentist.
C.  Revisions to a written practice agreement must be documented in a new written 
practice agreement signed by the supervising dentist and the adjunct dentist.
D.  An adjunct dentist shall file a copy of a written practice agreement with the board, 
keep a copy for the adjunct dentist’s own records and make a copy available to patients 
of the adjunct dentist upon request.
E.  An adjunct dentist shall refer patients in accordance with a written practice 
agreement to another qualified dental or health care professional to receive needed 
services that exceed the scope of practice of the adjunct dentist.
F.  An adjunct dentist who provides services or procedures beyond those authorized in 
a written practice agreement engages in unprofessional conduct and is subject to 
discipline pursuant to section 18325.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a new dentist license category, adjunct dentist license, which 
allows a qualified dentist who lacks the board-determined educational equivalency to a 
United States doctoral degree in dentistry, such as a dentist trained outside of the United 
States with a bachelor of dentistry degree, to obtain a license to practice dentistry under the 
general supervision of a licensed dentist through a written practice agreement signed by 
both parties.  The bill also establishes a pathway to be licensed as a dentist after practicing 
under an adjunct dentist license for 3 consecutive years in good standing.