May 14, 2014
HB 1227, the Sunset Review of the Dental Practice Act passed the state House of Representatives with a 55-10 vote and the Senate with a 29-6 vote. The bill now awaits a signature from Gov. Hickenlooper, which is expected sometime this month.
Working with dental stakeholders and the Colorado Dental Hygienists’ Association, the CDA was successful in lobbying for a bill that will best serve the entire dental profession for years to come. Three of the CDA and CDHA priority recommendations were included in the final bill:
- Requirements for anesthesia permits (including separate pediatric permits), re-inspection of dental facilities upon re-issuance of permits, and mandatory training. This is the single highest risk procedure that a dentist engages in and the CDA felt these additions were critical to ensure patient safety.
- Limited prescriptive authority for hygienists. This is an agreement worked out between the dentists and the hygienists that will allow greater access-to-care. The formulary is detailed in statute and is required to be in direct collaboration with a dentist.
- 30 mandatory hours of continuing education for dentists and hygienists, per licensure cycle. The bill also provides rule making authority for CE credits for inactive and retired licenses.
A full report noting changes to the Dental Practice Act will be included in the summer issue of the Journal of the Colorado Dental Association.