Advocacy in action
AzDA 2025 Accomplishments
In 2025, the AzDA Advocacy Team advanced practical reforms addressing two issues that affect Arizona dental practices every day:
dental insurance and workforce shortages.
3
major legislative measures advanced
2
insurance reform priorities addressed
1
new workforce pathway established
What these measures mean for Arizona dentists
Practice impact
Dentists can enter insurance networks sooner and receive retroactive reimbursement from the date a complete application is submitted.
The measure reduces the credentialing approval timeline from
100 days to 60 days and creates clearer response deadlines for insurance carriers.
- Complete applications must be acknowledged within two days.
- Applicants must be notified of deficiencies within seven days.
- The process becomes more predictable for practices and providers.
Practice impact
Clinical judgment must remain part of the claims and prior authorization process instead of relying solely on automated denials.
HB2175 requires a human provider's review before an insurer can deny a claim and prohibits artificial intelligence from making denial decisions without professional review.
- Reduces arbitrary or unjustified denials.
- Supports fairer claims and prior authorization decisions.
- Keeps licensed healthcare professionals involved in patient-care decisions.
Practice impactThe Oral Preventive Assistant role provides dentists with another staffing option while preserving training, supervision, scope of practice, and patient disclosure safeguards.
Originating from a 2023 House of Delegates resolution that received overwhelming support, SB1124 permits qualified dental assistants to perform supragingival scaling on teeth unaffected by periodontal disease.
Required training
A 120-hour board-approved course with hands-on clinical instruction, plus required CPR, coronal polishing,
radiography, and qualifying assisting credentials.
Limited scope
Scaling is restricted to periodontally healthy patients or those with mild, localized gingivitis. High-risk and medically compromised patients are excluded.
Direct supervision
An OPA must work under the direct, on-site supervision of a licensed dentist or dental hygienist.
Patient transparency
Patients must be informed when an OPA provides care, the
clinical record must document it, and the OPA certification
must be visibly displayed.
