Florida lawmakers clashed sharply this week over how to address a growing shortage of dentists, as the state House approved legislation creating a new mid-level dental profession aimed at expanding access to care in underserved communities.
The House passed HB 363 by an 80–29 party-line vote. Republicans argued the bill would help close a significant gap in dental services across the state, while Democrats warned it could put patient safety at risk by allowing providers with less training to perform complex procedures.
According to a House staff analysis, the shortage is especially severe in rural areas. Dixie and Gilchrist counties currently have no licensed dentists, and several other counties have only about 80 dentists per 100,000 residents. Supporters of the bill say Florida faces a shortfall of roughly 1,300 dentists, leaving an estimated 5.9 million residents living in 274 federally designated dental health professional shortage areas.
Rep. Linda Chaney, a Republican from St. Pete Beach and the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation would help fill critical gaps in care and reduce costly emergency visits linked to untreated dental problems.
“In one year alone, about 3,000 Floridians were hospitalized with life-threatening dental infections, and another 120,000 went to emergency rooms for dental issues,” Chaney said during House debate. She said those visits resulted in hospital costs of about $500 million.
HB 363 would create the role of “dental therapist,” positioned between dental hygienists and dentists. Under the bill, dental therapists could administer local anesthetics and nitrous oxide and perform certain nonsurgical tooth extractions, excluding teeth that are impacted, fractured, unerupted, or require sectioning.
They would also be allowed to carry out a range of routine procedures, such as cementing temporary crowns, taking impressions, removing rubber dams, applying bleaching agents, and assisting with orthodontic fittings.
To administer anesthesia, dental therapists would need to complete an approved anesthesia course and obtain certification in basic or advanced cardiac life support, working under a dentist’s supervision.
Democrats strongly opposed the measure, arguing that it lowers professional standards rather than addressing the root causes of the dentist shortage. Rep. Daryl Campbell, a Democrat from Fort Lauderdale, said he was “deeply concerned” about the bill’s implications for patient safety.
“The answer to a problem of access is not to lower standards,” Campbell said, urging lawmakers to instead expand loan repayment programs, increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, support dental residency pipelines, and offer stronger incentives for dentists to practice in underserved areas.
Supporters countered that dental therapists would be fully licensed and regulated by the Department of Health and the Board of Dentistry. To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check, graduate from an accredited dental therapy program, pass a national practical or clinical exam within three attempts, and complete a written test on dental therapy regulations.
The Department of Health estimates that establishing the new licensing and regulatory framework would cost the state $240,634, including $123,105 in recurring expenses.
The bill also includes provisions to expand Medicaid reimbursement for dental providers working in mobile dental clinics, a move supporters say could further improve access in rural and low-income areas.
No companion bill has yet been filed in the Florida Senate, leaving the proposal’s future uncertain as it moves to the upper chamber.
