Dental therapy authorization and safeguards
The law created a dental therapy license while restricting dental therapists primarily to tribal, community health, charitable, and underserved care settings.
Dental therapists may practice in tribal programs, urban Indian health programs, federally qualified health centers, community health centers, and qualifying not-for-profit charitable settings.
They generally may not work in private practices unless the practice serves referred patients under contract with a federally qualified health center.
Dental therapists must initially work under the direct supervision of an Arizona-licensed dentist.
A documented 1,000-hour preceptorship is required before a dental therapist may work under general supervision through a collaborative practice agreement.
Dental therapists are prohibited from billing patients or dental insurers directly.
Billing must flow through the supervising dentist or employing clinic, helping to maintain oversight of scope and collaborative-practice requirements.
The final law was designed to focus dental therapy services on low-income and underserved populations while preserving dentist supervision and clear professional accountability.
