HOUSE BILL 1678: DENTAL ACCESS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES

What is House Bill 1678? 

House Bill 1678 would allow dental therapists to provide care in more community-based health care settings.  

Dental therapists are primary oral health care providers that deliver routine preventive and restorative care to those who need it most. They work as part of a dental care team in much the same way that nurse practitioners or physician assistants work as part of the medical team.  

What does it intend to do? 

House Bill 1678 intends to increase access to oral health care in Washington state by adding dental therapists to the oral health care team at community health centers, expanding dentists' and health clinics' capacity to see more patients, especially those who struggle to afford oral health care. Dental therapists are already working in Washington in tribal communities providing safe, high-quality care. 

Why is it good for kids and racial justice? 

A healthy mouth and teeth are essential components of a child’s well-being. However, far too many children in Washington state cannot get the critical oral health care they need. Across the state, our dental care system is failing children and working parents in low-income families and communities of color, elderly people in nursing homes, people with special needs, and people living in rural communities. 

Dental therapists are a proven way to connect life-saving oral health care to communities that need it, especially for the kids and families that have been left behind by our state’s health care system. Passing HB 1678 will add dental therapists to the health care team in more areas of the state, bringing care to more children who historically have lacked access to routine oral health care due to their race, family income, or rural location.