The Arizona Senate recently passed a bill that would create the role of oral preventive assistant in the state.

Dakota College at Bottineau (North Dakota) has launched a dental hygiene program after receiving accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The West Virginia Board of Dentistry recently pushed for an amendment to a bill that would grant universal licensure for dental professionals entering the state, therealwv.com reported March 4. 

A bill in the Kentucky legislature aims to expand the locations where dental hygienists are permitted to practice as public health hygienists, according to a March 3 report from Public News Service.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has put forward legislation to remove license application and renewal fees for certain occupations, including dental hygienists.

Seven states have recently introduced legislation to join the Instate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact created by the American Association of Dental Boards.

Arizona legislators are currently considering a bill that would enter the state into the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact. 

The Georgia House Health Committee unanimously passed a bill to help dental schools in Augusta and Savannah, Ga., to recruit faculty members, according to a Feb. 20 report from Savannah Morning News.

There are currently 7,085 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to new data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The Florida Dental Association is opposed to a bill that would establish dental therapists in Florida, according to a Feb. 17 report from the Tampa Bay Times. 

Pocatello-based Idaho State University has requested additional funding from the state to expand the Idaho Dental Education Program, idahoednews.org reported Feb. 11. 

The shortage of dental professionals has significantly affected New Mexico, especially in rural communities, according to a Feb. 11 report from Albuquerque Journal.

Missouri legislators are considering joining the interstate Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact.

The Indiana House of Representatives approved a bill that outlines the framework for the state to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact.

The persistent shortage of dental hygienists is leading to scheduling backlogs at dental practices, according to a Feb. 4 report from CBS affiliate WKRC.

More than 20 states increased minimum wage on Jan. 1, increasing wages for more than nine million workers by a total of nearly $6 billion, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Two more states are looking to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, while participation in the compact was recently challenged in another state. 

Resident dentists at the University of Buffalo in New York voted to unionize and negotiate for better training, staffing and pay, NBC affiliate WGRZ reported Jan. 28. 

Approximately 37.5% of dental practice managers are planning or are actively pursuing a job change within the next few years, according to Dentalpost's 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report.

About 22.9% of dental office managers plan to retire within six years, according to Dentalpost's 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report.