Veto Is a Setback for Midlevel Practitioners

Maine also made news recently when the state Senate sustained Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the Dental Therapy Bill (LD 1514), which would have expanded the role of midlevel dental practitioners. Along with Minnesota and Alaska, Maine has been in the forefront of efforts to create new classes of providers. A 2014 Maine law established the dental hygiene therapist, a category of practitioner authorized to provide restorations — but only under direct supervision of a dentist.

The Dental Therapy Bill, approved by both houses, would have allowed dental therapists to work under general, not direct, supervision. Before the veto, a Bangor Daily News editorial praised the proposal, saying it would allow midlevel practitioners to provide care in mobile clinics or work solo in underserved rural areas. The edit – orial also noted that dentists had expressed concerns, fearing that den tal therapists would not be equipped to handle com – plications.