CS/HB 363 creates a new statutory framework for dental therapy in Florida and integrates dental therapists into the state’s dental practice act. The bill defines “dental therapist” and “dental therapy,” establishes licensure and examination requirements, sets continuing education obligations, requires license display, and creates a Council on Dental Therapy to advise the Board of Dentistry after the first licenses are issued. It also authorizes dental therapists to perform a defined list of preventive, restorative, and limited surgical procedures under the general supervision of a licensed Florida dentist and pursuant to a written collaborative management agreement.
The bill also makes related changes to Medicaid and dental regulation. It allows Medicaid reimbursement for certain dental services provided in mobile dental units when those units are owned by, operated by, or contracted with a health access setting or similar program, and it updates existing dental statutes to include dental therapists in supervision, recordkeeping, anesthesia, X-ray, discipline, and criminal penalty provisions. The Department of Health must report to the Legislature on implementation, access, costs, quality, and safety after dental therapy begins in Florida.
The bill amends chapter 466, Florida Statutes, to add dental therapy as a regulated profession alongside dentistry and dental hygiene, and it revises multiple sections to incorporate dental therapists into licensure, discipline, supervision, and practice rules. It creates new sections governing dental therapist licensure and scope of practice, and it expands criminal and administrative provisions to cover unlicensed practice and misconduct involving dental therapy. It also changes Medicaid reimbursement rules in section 409.906 to permit payment for qualifying mobile dental unit services tied to health access settings, federally qualified health centers, and similar programs.
The voting history suggests generally favorable but not unanimous support for the bill. It passed the House Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee, the House Health & Human Services Committee, and the House on third reading with clear majorities, indicating broad legislative interest in expanding dental access through a new mid-level provider. The absence of committee transcripts limits insight into debate, but the recorded votes show meaningful support across stages despite some opposition.
The main points of contention are likely the scope of practice granted to dental therapists, the degree of supervision required, and the bill’s effect on existing dental practice and workforce structures. The bill allows dental therapists to perform a wide range of services, including some extractions, restorations, anesthesia, and mobile-unit care, but only under collaborative management agreements with supervising dentists, which may reflect concerns about patient safety and oversight. Another likely issue is Medicaid reimbursement for mobile dental services and whether expanding reimbursement and provider authority will improve access without increasing costs or reducing quality; the bill’s required post-implementation reports suggest lawmakers want data to evaluate those concerns.