Photo: Carl Stevens/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Dental hygienists lobbied inside the State House Monday. They backed a slew of bills to expand dental care access.
"We can help bridge the gap for the simple things," said Massachusetts Dental Hygienists' Association President Amanda Berthiaume.
She said the four bills would grant more authorities to workers without a DDS.
One bill would allow hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox.
Another bill would create a new midlevel practitioner position called a "dental therapist."
Dental therapists are similar to nurse practitioners, Berthiaume said. They can fill more roles than a dental hygienist, but they do not have a DDS.
14 states, including Connecticut and Vermont, have already legalized the position, according to the National Partnership for Dental Therapy.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports.
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