Overview of oral health providers
The links on the right lead to maps showing a comparison of all states and territories for the following three policy areas:
1) dental hygienists with direct access
2) states allowing dental therapy
3) states allowing teledentistry
Choose a tab to explore different options. For more detailed information, please click on a state or territory.
Oral Health Providers:
Dental Hygienists with Direct Access
Mobile users can use this dropdown of states if the map is too small.
LEGEND
- No supervision required
- Educational/practice hours required to practice without supervision
- Collaborative agreement or supervision required
- No direct access
Direct access is defined by the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) as the ability of a dental hygienist to initiate treatment based on her or his assessment of a patient’s needs without the specific authorization of a dentist, treat the patient without the presence of a dentist and maintain a provider-patient relationship.
Some states require a dental hygienist practicing with direct access to have a collaborative agreement with a dentist that outlines certain policies and procedures including supervision by a dentist. Other states require certain educational and experience requirements before being allowed direct access. In some states, dental hygienists are not allowed to have direct access. In addition, there are a number of states that do not require supervision by a dentist when dental hygienists are practicing in direct access settings.
Policy areas for Oral Health Providers
Dental Hygienists with Direct Access
Practitioner Scope of Practice
- Behavioral Health Providers
- Nurse Practitioners
- Optometrists
- Oral Health Providers
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants