AUGUSTA — Maine’s Democratic-led Senate has advanced a bill supporters say will expand access to affordable dental care in the state.
In a 19-16 vote, the Senate gave initial approval to the bill establishing a new license for dental hygiene therapists, which would be able to do procedures like filling cavities and pulling teeth. Dental hygienists could become dental hygiene therapists after schooling, clinical hours and an exam.
The bill faces final votes in the House and Senate.
Supporters say many rural Maine towns have a shortage of dentists, which means residents often go without proper dental care.
But critics say the problem is the inability of people to show up at appointments, not a lack of access.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.