Maine committee hears mixed testimony on bill creating pathway for foreign‑trained dentists
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Summary
At a joint standing committee hearing, proponents said LD 2206 would expand dental access by creating an associate‑to‑full license pathway for foreign‑trained dentists; opponents — the Maine Dental Association, OPOR and several nonprofit dental centers — warned it could lower educational standards and create a two‑tiered system. The committee requested more data for work session.
At a public hearing before the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services, supporters and opponents sharply debated LD 2206, a bill that would establish an "associate" dental license intended to let some non‑CODA‑trained dentists practice under supervision and convert to full licensure after a defined period.
Benjamin Coolidge Gagnon of Sarah Public Affairs, speaking for Penobscot Community Health Care, urged the committee to consider workforce benefits. He highlighted PCHC’s dental capacity — "the Bangor Dental Center has 41 operatories" and a Belfast center opening with eight — and said the pathway "costs the state nothing," arguing just one additional qualified dentist would meaningfully increase patient encounters.
Proponents from community health centers and the Maine Primary Care Association described the license as a pipeline to reduce appointment wait times and recruit dentists to rural areas. Megan Stewart, government relations director at the Maine Primary Care Association, said the license would allow individuals educated in non‑CODA programs, "primarily foreign trained physicians," to practice under general supervision and become fully licensed after six consecutive years in good standing.
Opponents said the committee should not lower minimum educational standards. Tricia Hill, executive director of the Maine Dental Association, said Maine has seen an increase in actively practicing dentists and warned LD 2206 risks creating "two standards of care." She urged the committee to reject LD 2206 and pursue complementary policy changes — including MaineCare rate reviews and the companion bill LD 2209 — instead of altering licensure rules.
Penny Valancourt, director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, told the committee OPOR "takes no position on creating a new licensing category" but opposes allowing supervised experience to substitute for a doctoral degree and asked that the bill define the educational credential more clearly. Valancourt recommended rulemaking or clearer statutory language, and suggested practice agreements require supervisory record review and consultation for patients with complex medical histories.
Jeff Wallowender, chair of the Maine Board of Dental Practice, testified neither for nor against the bill and corrected several factual points from earlier testimony, noting there are two longstanding general practice residencies in Maine (including a Tufts program and a VA program at Togus). Wallowender suggested alternative license labels such as "adjunct" or "affiliate," recommended an English proficiency requirement, and asked the committee to clarify board‑approved practice settings.
Committee members requested more data for the work session, including the number of foreign‑trained applicants licensed or denied under existing equivalency reviews, how many advanced‑standing graduates from UNE remain in Maine, and specifics about the limited existing "limited dentist" license. The chair closed public testimony on LD 2206 and directed staff to return updated data for the work session.
The public hearing record includes written testimony from PCHC, the Maine Dental Association and other stakeholders; committee members signaled they will consider those materials and the commission record when the bill returns to work session.
