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  • Sign-On Letter

    HB 1177 by Rep. Bell and SB 1000 by Sen. Calatayud
  • We, the undersigned, support HB 1177 and SB 1000 for the 2023 Legislative Session.

    HB 1177 by Rep. Melony Bell and SB 1000 by Sen. Alexis Calatayud takes a measured step forward to increase access to dental health across our state.  

    Key Facts about Florida’s Oral Health Crisis:

    • Florida leads the nation in number of individuals – nearly SIX MILLION – living in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

    • Florida ranks last (50th out of 50 states) in percentage of children receiving a dental health visit in the last 12 months.

    • Out of 50 states, Florida ranks 42nd for percentage of adults who have received one annual dental visit in 2021.

    • One out of four (25.1%) Florida 3rd graders have untreated cavities, making Florida the sixth worst state in the nation for this measure.

    • Nearly 120,000 Floridians visited the emergency room (ER) in 2021 for non-traumatic dental conditions and 3,200 were admitted. 

     These bills:

    • Allow all health access settings (see list of these settings below) to contract with mobile dental units to provide important oral care services to Floridians. 

    • Define “mobile dental unit” as a “nonfacility structure in which dental
      equipment used in the practice of dentistry is transported to and used on a temporary basis at an out-of-office location”.  This clarifies that a mobile dental unit is not only a mobile dental van, which can be expensive to purchase and operate, but also portable dental equipment specifically designed to provide only preventive dental care.

     (Health access settings are defined as: programs or institutions of the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, the Department of Juvenile Justice; nonprofit community health centers; federal approved head start centers; county health departments, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs); school-based prevention programs and clinic operated by accredited colleges of dentistry or accredited dental hygiene programs.)

     

    These bills:

    • DO NOT expand the scope of practice for dental hygienists.  Dental hygienists currently are authorized to provide services in health access settings without the presence of physical presence of a dentist.

    • DO NOT allow dental hygienists to become Medicaid billing providers, directly bill for services or be directly reimbursed for services.  

     

                                            We urge passage of this very good bill!

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