Bill > H274

This bill establishes a new level of dental professional called an "Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner" in Massachusetts, allowing licensed dental hygienists who meet specific educational and experiential requirements to provide a broader range of oral health care services. To become an advanced dental hygiene practitioner, an individual must graduate from an accredited dental practitioner education program of 12-18 months, pass a competency-based clinical examination, and gain at least 500 hours of experience practicing under the direct supervision of a dentist before practicing under general supervision. Crucially, these practitioners must enter into a written collaborative agreement with a local or state government agency, institution, or a licensed dentist, outlining how they will communicate and consult to ensure patient safety. This agreement will authorize them to perform services beyond traditional dental hygiene, including certain restorative procedures, administering local anesthetics, providing emergency pain relief, and nonsurgical extractions of specific types of permanent teeth, all while operating within the parameters of the agreement and without direct supervision for these expanded services. They can also provide, dispense, and administer certain medications like analgesics, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, but are prohibited from dispensing narcotic drugs. The bill also mandates that these practitioners be directly reimbursed by Medicaid and the commonwealth care health insurance program and requires the Board of Registration in Dentistry to evaluate their impact on patient safety, cost-effectiveness, and access to dental services.