Massachusetts state Sen. Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) has filed a midlevel provider (MLP) bill to address the shortage of dentists who provide care to people eligible for MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, according to a news story in the Wakefield Observer.
The bill (S 998), being considered by the state's Public Health Committee, would establish an advanced dental hygiene practitioner level of practice and would allow these hygienists to provide limited dental care without the direct supervision of a dentist.
The bill proposes that the dental hygienists go through eight to 12 months of advanced schooling so they can provide dental care in schools, health clinics, and other settings.
