Here are four state bills affecting clear aligners, dental insurance practices, staffing and more:
1. The Illinois House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill that would require individuals to visit a dentist within a year of using direct-to-consumer clear aligners.
2. The Ohio legislature passed a bill to end the artificial capping of fees by dental insurers. The bill also enters Ohio into the interstate Dentist and Dental Hygienist compact.
3. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law two bills concerning the state's dental industry. House Bill 855 requires all patients receiving dental treatment through telehealth to have an in-person examination and a dentist to remain primarily responsible for all treatments.
Senate Bill 938 removes the requirement of out-of-state dentists who receive a Florida dental license to practice in Florida for one full year after being licensed. The bill also gets rid of a law that requires dental school students to wait until their final year of school to apply for licensure.