July 17, 2009
On Thursday, July 9, the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners (SBDE) held a public hearing on the proposed rule addressing anesthesia permits and administration.
Numerous dentists and patients attended the hearing and relayed their concerns about the rule proposal to the State Board.
Several testimonies were presented at the hearing. Some were supportive of the rule proposal and simply requested a few clarifications. Others vehemently opposed the rule, most frequently contesting the rule proposal’s potential impact on oral sedation permits and expressing concern about patient access to oral sedation services should the new rule be implemented. Dr. David Lurye, president of the Colorado Dental Association, testified regarding the range of concerns conveyed to the CDA by its members.
The bottom line is that your concerns were heard. Special thanks to those who took the time to review the rule proposal and provide feedback to the CDA and to the State Board.
Ultimately, the State Board elected to send the rule proposal back to committee for further consideration of the written comments submitted and the concerns expressed at the hearing.
In addition, the State Board has extended the deadline for accepting written comments on the rule. We encourage you to submit any comments or concerns in writing to the State Board to ensure that your opinion is fully considered. To view the current rule proposal, visit: http://www.dora.state.co.us/Dental/RevisedRedlineRules62509.pdf. Comments may be submitted to the State Board at Dental@dora.state.co.us or to 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202. Comments should be submitted promptly, as the State Board expects to finalize a new draft of the rule by the end of August.
The revised rule proposal will come before the full Board at its October 21 meeting.
If you have additional questions about the rule or rulemaking hearing, please contact Jennifer Goodrum, director of governmental relations, at 303-996-2847 or jennifer@cdaonline.org.
