Authorizes dental hygienists to provide such services in collaboration with a licensed dentist

• Democratic20
• Republican2

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Rachel May says this is needed

According to the Department of Health's Oral Health Plan for New York State (2014), approximately 44% of children in New York experience tooth decay by the third grade and about 17% of New Yorkers 65 years and older have lost all their teeth. Because of current disparities that exist in oral health, these numbers are even higher among low-income and minority populations. Increasing access to dental hygiene services will help to ensure that all New Yorkers are able to receive quality oral healthcare. Dental hygienists fulfill a critical role in the provision of dental care, both in private practice and public health settings. In fact, a 2010 report issued by the Pew Center on the States found that adding dental hygienists to a practice. enables most private-practice dentists to serve more patients while increasing profitability and productivity. The enactment of the federal Affordable Care Act, which mandates insur- ance coverage for pediatric dental care, continues to increase patient demand for dental care. Thus, it is imperative that dental hygienists' skills and training are fully utilized, freeing-up dentists to treat more patients. The Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) supported this action as one of its top five priorities of their twelve final recommendations. According to the 2011 published recommendations from MRT, this bill will allow for the maximum utilization of the dental hygienists in New York State, in keep- ing with their education, training, and expertise as oral health prevention specialists. Collaborative Practice will serve to improve the oral health status of New Yorkers and promote the prevention of disease and oral health. Collaborative practice is another way to increase access to dental hygiene care and disease prevention. Collaborative practice dental hygienists would be able to practice, pursuant to the terms of the collaborative practice agreement, without the supervision of the dentist. This makes it much easier for dental hygienists to practice in under-served communities, where there is a great need for prophylactic treatments and oral health counseling. Collaborative practice dental hygienists would also screen patients for disease and refer them to the collaborating dentist for dental examinations and other treatments. This creates more opportunities for New Yorkers to receive dental hygiene care, and decreases their risk of developing oral disease and tooth decay. Moreover, this bill requires registered dental hygienists to apply for a new certification with the New York State Education Department for Collaborative Practice (RDH-CP). Three years of experience and continu- ing education requirements are required for the certification.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.