Legislative News

The last thing you want to hear when you’re getting dental care is “uh-oh.”

At the state Capitol, some lawmakers want to allow a new type of dental worker to perform surgery on you and your family - even pull your teeth - without any training at an accredited dental school. These workers could even be solely responsible for screening for serious diseases like oral cancer. What if they miss something? A dentist wouldn’t even have to be in the building to answer questions, make treatment decisions, or step in if something goes wrong.

This is unacceptable and the wrong way to expand access to dental care.

The Minnesota Dental Association believes there’s a better way. Minnesota’s dentists support a plan that creates a dental team member who could perform a broad range of preventive and restorative procedures, with all surgery done only with the supervision of a fully educated dentist. This person would be trained for four years at an accredited dental school, alongside dental students and other members of the dental team.

Call your representative at (651) 296-2146 and your senator at (651) 296-0504 TODAY and tell them that unsupervised workers doing dental surgery is a bad idea. Minnesota’s lawmakers must ensure that only supervised, dental school trained professionals perform surgery.

The Facts

• There is no such thing as a “simple” dental surgery. Even routine procedures like drilling or pulling teeth can create many complications and require a properly trained dentist be available to assist.
• For instance, a broken root tip, uncontrolled bleeding, and numerous other unanticipated circumstances can dramatically change the course of a procedure beyond the new dental worker’s capability and training.
• Many Minnesotans currently without access to dental care would be treated by these new workers. These individuals - people who in many cases haven’t seen a dentist for years - often have particularly difficult oral and overall health problems. They need and deserve the assurance that a fully educated and licensed dentist is on hand to supervise their care and address complications that might arise.
• We’re proud that Minnesota is leading the way toward a more efficient dental care delivery system. But we need to get it right. Lawmakers should only support safe and supervised treatment from a dental school trained professional.

Call your representative at (651) 296-2146 and your senator at (651) 296-0504 TODAY and tell them that unsupervised workers doing dental surgery is a bad idea. Minnesota’s lawmakers must ensure that only supervised, dental school trained professionals perform surgery.

Get more FACTS here:

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