Page 17 - Bulletin Vol 30 No 2 - May - Aug. 2025 FINAL_

ADVOCACY| NYSDA 2025 Advocacy Events

Unlocking the Power of Our Voice During the 2025 Legislative Session

This year, NYSDA hosted three in-person advocacy events, each focused on a single, key topic: Workforce,
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Dental Insurance Reform, and Access to Care. The May 14 session in Albany gave us the opportunity to

advocate for our members during the 2025 Legislative session.
This was our opportunity to engage in impactful discussions tailored just for our dental organization. Rep-
resenting the Nassau County Dental Society at this session was our Vice President, Dr. Katayoon Noroozi-
Leibowitz, along with other representatives from around the state, who discussed the following issues:

1. Block anesthesia – Allowing certified hygienists to perform this function, allowing dental teams to work
more efficiently and reducing patient wait times. It will provide the following benefits:

• Increases Access, especially in Underserved Areas.

• In busy or rural practices, this change will help expand access to timely pain control, making dental
care more accessible for all New Yorkers.

• Supports the Profession’s Growth

• The bill modernizes dental practice laws to reflect current training, technology, and the evolving role of
dental hygienists as part of a collaborative care team.

2. Dental Therapists - This bill creates a new category of dental providers called "dental therapists," who
would be licensed to perform a wide range of procedures currently limited to licensed dentists. • Dental
therapists would be authorized to perform complex tasks, such as cavity preparation, pulpotomies,
extractions of primary teeth, and even the administration of local anesthetics, under general or indirect
supervision by a dentist. Our representatives voiced our opposition to this bill based on the following
concerns:

• Though trained, they do not undergo the same extensive education and clinical practice as dentists.
• Allowing them to perform intricate procedures, such as extractions or cavity preparations, without the
direct supervision of a dentist could jeopardize patient safety.

• Potential for Substandard Care - With their limited training, dental therapists may not be equipped to
handle the complexities of patient care, especially in cases where advanced dental knowledge and de-
cision-making are crucial. This could lead to complications, misdiagnoses, or incorrect treatments.

• Quality of Care - The practice of dentistry involves complex diagnostic and treatment skills that require
many more years of instruction to master than this bill would require.
3. Collaborative Practice Agreement - This bill establishes a clear statewide structure allowing dentists and
dental hygienists licensed in other states to work in a broader range of settings, including: Public schools,
Long-term care facilities, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Facilities serving veterans, Group
homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Temporary housing sites and
homeless shelters, Domestic violence shelters, Drug treatment centers, Correctional institutions, Homes of
medically homebound patients. It is aimed at improving access to care but proof of this concept leading to
that is lacking.

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Nassau County Dental Society ⬧ (516) 227-1112 | 17