Bill
HB 5627
HB 5627 expands dentists' scope of practice, enabling more procedures and greater delegation authority to improve access to dental care and services.
Status and procedural history
- Bill number: HB 5627
- Title: AN ACT EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE OF DENTISTS
- Introduced: March 14, 2025
- Current referral (initial): Joint Committee on Public Health
- Key legislative steps (selected):
- 2025-03-14: Filed
- 2025-04-07: Read first time; referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
- 2025-04-23–24: Public hearing and committee consideration; committee substitute considered and reported favorably as substituted
- 2025-04-28: Committee report filed and distributed
- 2025-05-07–08: Considered on General State Calendar; passed and reported engrossed; received from the House (record votes and statements recorded)
- 2025-05-19: Read first time in the subsequent chamber and referred to Finance
Note: The legislative actions indicate the bill has progressed through committee consideration, a committee substitute was adopted, and it passed one chamber and was received by the other. The official bill text was not provided with the materials you supplied.
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s title indicates its primary intent is to broaden what licensed dentists are legally authorized to do — i.e., to "expand the scope of practice" for dentists. The objective of such legislation generally is to allow dentists to perform additional procedures, use additional technologies or medications, or to alter supervision/ delegation rules to improve access to dental care, modernize practice, or align state licensure with current clinical training.
Key points normally found in scope-expansion bills (text not provided)
- Types of expansions that HB 5627 may include (examples — not confirmed because the bill text is not available):
- Authorizing new procedures (e.g., minor oral surgery, additional prosthodontic or implant procedures).
- Expanding prescriptive authority (broadening which medications or dosages dentists may prescribe).
- Allowing dentists to administer additional levels of sedation or anesthesia or changing who may administer them.
- Changing delegation/supervision rules so dentists can delegate more tasks to dental hygienists or assistants, possibly under general rather than direct supervision.
- Credentialing or training requirements tied to expanded practices (certification, continuing education).
- Amendments to licensing board authority, disciplinary provisions, or practice settings (e.g., mobile clinics, tele-dentistry).
Who would be affected
- Directly: Licensed dentists in the state (expansion could change daily practice, training or credentialing requirements).
- Indirectly: Dental hygienists, dental assistants, patients (access to services, costs), dental schools and continuing education providers, state dental board/regulatory agencies, insurers and Medicaid/CHIP programs, malpractice insurers.
- Potential workforce impacts: May improve access to care in underserved areas, change referral patterns, or alter employment/training needs.
Potential implications and considerations
- Patient access and public health: Expanded scope often aims to increase access to services (especially in underserved areas) but raises questions on training standards and patient safety.
- Regulatory/fiscal: Could require new rulemaking by the state dental board, training/certification programs, or fiscal changes if Medicaid-covered services are added — fiscal notes should be reviewed.
- Liability and insurance: Expanded procedures may affect malpractice risk and insurance premiums.
- Education and certification: May create demand for additional coursework, certifications, or credentialing processes.
Next steps to evaluate the bill fully
- Obtain and review the bill text and any committee substitute (to see specific provisions).
- Read committee reports, fiscal notes, and the Journal entries (statements of vote and testimony summaries).
- Track any amendments and final votes in the second chamber and gubernatorial action.
- Consult affected stakeholders’ testimony (dental board, professional associations, consumer groups) recorded in the committee hearing (noted on 2025-04-23).
If you want, I can:
- Locate and summarize the full bill text and committee substitute (if available), or
- Summarize stakeholder testimony and the fiscal note related to HB 5627.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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