HB5213 Summary

• Creates a new license for dental therapists in Illinois under the Illinois Dental Practice Act with specified education requirements and examination standards.

• Dental therapists must graduate from an accredited dental therapy program and pass a practical or clinical examination; applicants before January 1, 2029 may use programs from accredited dental or dental hygiene schools that substantially conform to Commission on Dental Accreditation standards.

• Dental therapists must practice under general supervision of a licensed dentist through a written collaborative management agreement that specifies scope of practice, patient populations, supervision requirements, protocols, and quality assurance measures.

• Authorized dental therapy services include competencies from accreditation standards plus state-specific services such as radiograph evaluation, space maintainer placement, pulpotomies on primary teeth, dispensing non-opioid analgesics including nitrous oxide, and oral evaluation and treatment planning as authorized by the supervising dentist.

• Makes conforming changes to existing sections of the Dental Practice Act to include dental therapists in continuing education requirements (36 hours per 3-year period), renewal procedures, disciplinary provisions, and other regulatory provisions applicable to dentists and dental hygienists.