An Act Expanding Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2206
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Amends: 32 MRSA §18302, 32 MRSA §18342, 32 MRSA §18371

Legislative Document
No. 2206
H.P. 1483
House of Representatives, February 10, 2026
An Act Expanding Access to Oral Health Care by Creating a New 
Path for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry
Reported by Representative MATHIESON of Kittery for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107, 
section 8.
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §18302, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Associate dentist.  "Associate dentist" means a person who holds a valid 
associate dentist license issued by the board.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §18302, sub-§1-B is enacted to read:
1-B.  Associate dentist license.  "Associate dentist license" means the authority 
granted to a person who is a graduate of a dental school or college, who is licensed to 
practice dentistry in this State and who is practicing under the general supervision of a 
dentist in a board-approved practice setting in accordance with this chapter.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §18342, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 163, §1, is 
further amended to read:
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 associate dentist license 
in good standing and provides verification that the applicant has actively practiced 
during the 6 consecutive years immediately preceding application to the board, that 
applicant is deemed to be in compliance with this paragraph; and
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §18342, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7.  Associate dentist license.  An applicant for an associate dentist license must comply 
with section 18341 and must provide:
A.  Verification of a degree in dentistry from a dental school or college located in the 
United States or another country;
B.  Verification of passing all examinations required by the board;
C.  Verification that the applicant will be practicing dentistry in a board-approved 
practice 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 associate dentist license may provide dental services only in 
the board-approved practice 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 associate dentists.  A dentist, referred to in 
this section as the "the supervising dentist," who employs a dental therapist or associate 
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 associate dentist supervised by that 
dentist that are beyond the scope of practice of the dental therapist or associate 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 associate 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 
associate 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 associate dentist upon request.
Sec. 7.  32 MRSA §18371, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7.  Associate dentist practice requirements.  An associate dentist must comply with 
the following practice limitations.
A.  An associate 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 associate dentist is authorized to 
perform. An associate 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 associate dentist is authorized to provide by the written 
practice agreement.
B.  A written practice agreement between a supervising dentist and an associate dentist 
must include the following elements:
(1)  The services and procedures and the practice settings for those services and 
procedures that the associate 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 associate 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 
associate 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 associate dentist.
C.  Revisions to a written practice agreement must be documented in a new written 
practice agreement signed by the supervising dentist and the associate dentist.
D.  An associate dentist shall file a copy of a written practice agreement with the board, 
keep a copy for the associate dentist’s own records and make a copy available to 
patients of the associate dentist upon request.
E.  An associate 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 associate dentist.
F.  An associate 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 is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, 
Insurance and Financial Services to implement a recommendation from the Commission to 
Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a 
License to Practice Dentistry pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107.  The joint standing 
committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, 
the joint standing committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees 
or disagrees with any aspect of this bill; instead, the joint standing committee is reporting 
the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to a joint 
standing committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the 
normal course. The joint standing committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and 
transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill.
The bill establishes a new dentist license category, an associate 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 
with an associate dentist license in good standing for 6 consecutive years.