CURRENT
EVENTS
Keep up to date on what is happening here in Missouri.
1. The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact bills
Passage of this legislation is anticipated by MDHA in 2026.
2. Have you heard about the pilot programs that the Missouri Dental Board have approved? Click the button below to learn about the current Nursing Home Pilot Project with Telehealth and the proposed Oral Preventive Assistant "OPA" Pilot Project.
3. Local Anesthesia Under General Supervision — Passage Update
The proposed rule change allowing dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia under general supervision was finalized on October 1, 2024, and published in the Missouri Register. The rule officially took effect on November 30, 2024.
While this is an exciting step forward, there are still several actions that must take place before implementation in the office.
Read below for the final rule wording and review the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Classifications, which will guide the enforcement of this change.
4. Get to Know Your Legislators:
MDHA encourages all hygienists to build grassroots connections and strengthen relationships in the communities where you live and work. Start by researching your legislators using the links below, then invite them to meet for coffee in your area. Share with them the depth of education, clinical training hours, and examinations required to become a registered dental hygienist in Missouri.
Be sure to express your position on the proposed “scaling assistant” expansion, explaining how limited education for supragingival scaling and periodontal probing can put patients’ health at risk. The Missouri Dental Association is advocating to make the current Oral Preventive Assistant pilot program permanent, and we may see this bill introduced during the 2026 legislative session. Your voice and personal connections are vital to protecting the quality of patient care in our state.
Your voice matters — and so does your support. Please make a contribution to the MO-HY PAC today. Every dollar strengthens our ability to back candidates who will stand with Missouri dental hygienists and protect the quality of care our patients deserve. The decisions made in the next legislative sessions will shape our profession for years to come
Left, middle side of the page you will find this box:
5. School Expansion:
Plans are underway to increase the number of dental hygienists in Missouri through expansions to existing dental hygiene programs. St. Louis Community College will open a second program at its Florissant Valley campus, adding capacity for 32 additional students. Construction is in progress, with a target opening in Fall 2025.
State Fair Community College is working to establish a distance education site in Columbia for 10 students, as well as expand enrollment at its Sedalia campus.
These expansions will help address Missouri’s dental hygiene workforce shortage, which has worsened since the state lost 4 of its 10 dental hygiene educational programs.