AUGUSTA - Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, introduced legislation Wednesday that would direct the University of Maine System to establish a dental therapy degree program at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Dental therapists are dental hygienists who have continued their training and education at one of five accredited programs in the United States, none of which are located on the East Coast. These practitioners are licensed to provide dental exams, simple restorations, cavity diagnoses, cleanings and prevention education, particularly in areas with chronic routine dental care shortages.
"Since 2014, when Gov. LePage signed legislation recognizing dental therapy as a profession, we have acknowledged the benefits that dental therapists could offer our state," said Mastraccio. "Working under the off-site supervision of a dentist, dental therapists bring care to people where they are, whether that's nursing homes, schools or rural communities. Establishing a dental therapy program in Maine would bring people from all over New England to the state and would help bridge a gap in dental coverage that too many Maine communities still face."
In 2021, the Maine Legislature passed legislation that made nearly 220,000 more Mainers eligible for dental coverage through MaineCare. But expanding eligibility did not address the states critical shortage of dental care practitioners, which has continued to be a problem for thousands of Mainers.
According to Penobscot Community Health Care's annual report, in 2021, 10 dentists and 10 hygienists performed 10,890 preventative and restorative visits and a combined 217 procedures placing crowns and conducting root canals. After downsizing in 2022 from a dental care staff of 20 to a staff of 11, including four dentists, six hygienists but adding one dental therapist, the team was still able to perform 8,749 preventative and restorative visits and 222 root canals and crowns.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said Mastraccio. "Dental therapists clearly improve everyone's effectiveness, allowing for optimal use of time and resources."
Organizations testifying in support of the measure include the Maine Primary Care Association, Maine Equal Justice, the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity and Penobscot Community Health Care, among several others.
"One of the barriers to getting more dental therapists in Maine is a lack of access to education," said Beth Pearce, Oral Health Program Manager at Maine Primary Care Association. "If Maine is to truly overcome the oral health workforce challenges, we need to provide educational opportunities."
The Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.
Mastraccio is serving her fifth non-consecutive term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislatures Government Oversight Committee and the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. She represents House District 142, which includes a portion of Sanford and Springvale.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Mastraccio], 305-965-2744