West Virginia and Kentucky move on oral health

Kentucky and West Virginia, rivals for the dubious distinction of worst oral health among the states, are both taking legislative action to improve their situations.

Last week, the West Virginia Legislature unanimously approved a bill that will allow dental hygienists to "polish teeth, scrape gums, take X-rays and give fluoride treatments ... in schools, nursing homes, hospitals and health clinics without a dentist standing over their shoulder," reports Eric Eyre of The Charleston Gazette.

Yesterday in Kentucky, a Senate committee approved a House bill that would require students entering school in 2010 and beyond to prove they have had "a dental screening or examination by a qualified dental professional, physician, registered nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant." The full Senate usually passes bills approved by a committee.

The bill also requires that if an exam conducted by anyone other than a dentist finds evidence of dental disease, the child will be referred to a dentist. That provision was added in the Senate committee when dentists dropped their opposition to allowing non-dentists to do the exams or screenings. "The Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which was not advocating for the bill because of cost concerns, is now supporting it," reports Sarah Vos of the Lexington Herald-Leader. (Read more)