Summary: Colorado and Minnesota joined the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, enhancing licensure portability for dental professionals. This initiative, led by the American Dental Association and American Dental Hygienists’ Association, aims to improve access to care and support practitioners’ mobility across states.

Key Takeaways:

  • State Participation: Colorado and Minnesota are the latest states to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact.
  • Enhanced Mobility: The compact facilitates easier licensure for dental professionals across states.
  • Broad Benefits: This initiative supports patient care continuity, military families, and overall access to dental services.

Colorado became the eighth state and Minnesota became the ninth to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.

Facilitating Interstate Licensure

The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact was facilitated by The Council of State Governments (CSG) and developed through a broad coalition of industry partners, led by the American Dental Association and American Dental Hygienists’ Association. The original compact request and associated grant funding to facilitate the process came from the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

Benefits of the Compact

Existing interstate occupational licensure compacts have been successful in reducing barriers for practitioners who wish to provide services in other states, according to the AAO. The AAO believes the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact will benefit consumers, licensure boards, and the dentistry profession by:

  • Enhancing mobility for practitioners who meet uniform licensure requirements.
  • Increasing access to care for patients.
  • Ensuring continuity of care when patients or practitioners relocate or travel to other states.
  • Allowing military personnel and spouses to maintain their licenses when relocating.
  • Preserving and strengthening the current system of state licensure.

Supporting the Dental Profession

While the authorization is in part intended to benefit military families, the scope of the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact is to benefit the profession at large, not only military spouses. Rather than navigating a patchwork of state-specific endorsement/reciprocity provisions, the compacts aim to create a streamlined pathway to practice in other states for all practitioners who wish to be mobile or work in multiple states. Because of these considerations, DoD chose to fund the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact knowing that it would benefit the profession at large.

Increasing Licensure Portability

Much like the existing licensure compacts for nurses, physical therapists, physicians, psychologists, and EMS personnel, the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact will increase licensure portability for practitioners while allowing member state regulatory boards to better protect consumers through enhanced sharing of licensure information.