Rep. Cote's Bill to Increase Access to Increase Access to Oral Health Care Services Passes NM House

A bill introduced by Rep. Nate Cote (D, Las Cruces-53) that would extend access to oral health care, especially for patients living in underserved areas, passed the NM House of Representatives late last week by a vote of 60 to 3. Business & Industry Committee Substitute for HB 676 would allow dental hygienists to practice at the level for which they are educated and licensed. The bill now heads to the Senate Public Affairs Committee.

Rep. Cote said in a written statement, “During this session I have sponsored six bills that provide an expansion of accessibility to health care in New Mexico, especially in rural areas. Allowing dental hygienists to perform procedures that they are already trained to do seems to be a natural way to broaden their scope of practice. I’m proud to see this legislation moving forward. Dental hygiene is so important to your overall health.”

The bill would:

• provide for limited prescriptive authority for preventive agents such as fluorides and antimicrobial rinses;
• allow the dental hygienist to assess for potential oral disease; and
• authorize dental hygienists to only administer local anesthesia when emergency medical services are accessible.