RATIONALE:
Persistent barriers, such as cost and limited access, prevent Hawai’i’s most vulnerable communities from getting needed dental care. Neighbor island residents and those with lower incomes often rely on dental services in public health settings, such as community health centers and schools. Dental hygienists are a critical part of the dental care team, but they are limited in the care they are allowed to provide. This legislation helps to enhance the capacity of the dental team, strengthen community dental services, and increase access to early treatment and prevention.
2026 Bills:
TAKE ACTION NOW:
Public hearings are an opportunity for the public to weigh in on bills being considered by lawmakers. Submitting testimony for these hearings is an important way to let lawmakers know your position on these important issues. All you need to do is share why you are in strong support (we have some talking points below to get you started!). Each hearing may have different lawmakers, so you must submit testimony each time there is a new hearing.
Hearing Information
Bill: HB 1671 HD1
Position: Support
Committee: House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM
How to Submit Testimony
- Log-in /make an account on the Capitol website.
- Go to the page for HB 1671 HD1 and click on the “Submit Testimony” button.
- Upload or write your testimony in SUPPORT of the bill (It doesn’t need to be long!).
- Please submit testimony by Monday, February 23, at 2:00 PM (at least 24 hours in advance) to ensure your testimony is received on time and reviewed by the committee members! Late testimony will be accepted until the time of the hearing.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY:
Many Hawai‘i residents lack sufficient access to traditional dental clinics and rely on community-based care options in public health settings. Unfortunately, options for delivering preventive services, such as interim therapeutic restorations (ITR), are limited in these settings. In many cases, there are not enough dentists to carry out these services in the community. Please pass this bill to allow dental hygienists to place ITR in public health settings, which will expand access to care, prevent conditions, like cavities, from getting worse, and reduce the need for more costly treatment down the road.
TALKING POINTS:
- Many Hawai‘i residents lack sufficient access to traditional dental clinics and rely on community-based care options in public health settings. Unfortunately, options for delivering preventive services, such as interim therapeutic restorations (ITR), are limited in these settings. In many cases, we don’t have enough dentists to carry out these services in the community.
- Amending the Hawai‘i Dental Practice Act to allow trained, qualified dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations (ITR) under the general supervision of a dentist in public health settings, such as schools, nursing care facilities, and other community-based settings will expand access to care, prevent conditions like cavities from getting worse, and reduce the need for more costly treatment down the road.
- The ITR procedure involves removal of early cavities using hand instruments and repairing the tooth with an adhesive restorative material (e.g., Glass Ionomer Cement). (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2024, pp. 5).
- The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes ITR as a beneficial temporary technique and supports the use of ITR to restore and prevent the progression of dental cavities in children, individuals with special health care needs, and situations in which traditional restoration is not feasible (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2024, pp. 6).
- Nine states, including California, New Mexico, and Maine, currently allow qualified dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations.Allowing dental hygienists to perform ITRs increases access to oral health preventive services in public health settings (e.g., schools), particularly for Medicaid-eligible populations (Kohli et al., 2022; Steward et al., 2024).
- Available research suggests that allowing dental hygienists to perform ITRs under the supervision of a dentist in public health settings has minimal to no adverse effects (Glassman et al., 2013; Kohli et. al, 2022).