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H 7838Licensing & Accreditation

Businesses and Professions - Dentists and Dental Hygienists

This bill allows foreign-trained dentists and dental hygienists to obtain limited licenses to practice in Rhode Island under supervision.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the rules regarding limited registrations for dentists and dental hygienists in Rhode Island. Specifically, it establishes a pathway for foreign-trained dentists and dental hygienists to obtain limited licenses to practice within the state. To qualify, these applicants must have graduated from a "reputable" dental or dental hygiene college (as defined by specific academic criteria in the bill), work under the supervision of a licensed dentist, and pass a board-determined examination. The bill also grants the state board the authority to revoke these registrations and create necessary regulations.

For younger readers

This new rule helps dentists and dental hygienists who went to school in other countries work in Rhode Island. Before, it might have been very hard for them to get a job fixing teeth here. Now, if they went to a good school in their country, pass a test, and work with a boss dentist who watches their work, they can get a special permission slip to help patients. The law lists exactly what kind of school they must have attended to make sure they know how to do their job safely.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Foreign-trained dentistsForeign-trained dental hygienistsDental practicesDental patientsBoard of Examiners in Dentistry
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Expands access to dental healthcare for underserved populations by increasing the available workforce of qualified dental professionals.
  • Promotes economic equity and inclusion by providing a legal pathway for skilled immigrants to practice the profession for which they were trained.
  • May help diversify the medical field, potentially leading to better cultural competence in care for Rhode Island's diverse immigrant communities.
  • Creates a potential "second-class" tier of workers with limited licenses who may be vulnerable to exploitation or lower wages compared to fully licensed peers.
  • Relying on foreign-trained labor could be used as a stopgap measure rather than investing in domestic education programs to solve workforce shortages.
  • The definition of "reputable" colleges relies on administrative discretion, which could inadvertently bias the system against professionals from specific developing nations.
For Conservatives
  • Reduces government barriers to entry and occupational licensing red tape, allowing the free market to utilize available talent more efficiently.
  • Increases competition in the dental market, which could theoretically help drive down the cost of dental services for consumers.
  • Allows private businesses and practices to address labor shortages without requiring taxpayer-funded workforce development programs.
  • May be viewed as prioritizing foreign workers for healthcare jobs over American citizens or those trained in domestic institutions.
  • Raises concerns regarding whether foreign educational standards are truly equivalent to U.S. standards, potentially risking quality of care.
  • Expands the administrative power of the state board and director to promulgate new regulations and define educational standards arbitrarily.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 43 additions · 3 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 5-31.1-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-31.1 entitled "Dentists and Dental Hygienists" is hereby amended to read as follows: 5-31.1-22. Limited registrations.

(a) An applicant for limited registration under this chapter who furnishes the board with satisfactory proof that the applicant is eighteen (18) years of age or older and of good moral character, that the applicant has graduated from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or its designated agency and approved by the board, and that the applicant has been appointed an intern, resident, fellow, or dental officer in a hospital or other institution maintained by the state, or by a city or town, or in a hospital or clinic that is incorporated under the laws of this state or in a clinic that is affiliated with a hospital licensed by the department of health, or in an outpatient clinic operated by the state, may, upon the payment as set forth in § 23-1-54, be registered by the board as a hospital dental officer for any time that the board prescribes; but that limited registration entitles the applicant to practice dentistry in the hospital or other institution designated on his or her certificate of limited registration, or outside that hospital or other institution for the treatment, under the supervision of one of its dental officers who is a licensed dentist, in the state of persons accepted by it as patients, or in any hospital, institution, clinic, or program affiliated for training purposes with the hospital, institution, or clinic designated on this certificate, which affiliation is approved by the board, and in any case under regulations established by that hospital, institution, or clinic. Each hospital, institution, or clinic shall annually submit to the board a list of training programs that comply with the terms of this section. Limited registration under this section may be revoked at any time by the board. The board and/or the director may promulgate any rules and regulations that it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(b) Foreign-trained dentists are eligible for limited licenses as described in the rules and regulations pertaining to dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants (216-RICR-40-05-2), provided they have graduated from a reputable dental college, are under the supervision of a supervising dentist, and have passed an examination as determined by the board of examiners in dentistry.

(c) Foreign-trained dental hygienists are eligible for limited licenses as described in the rules and regulations pertaining to dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants (216-RICR-40- 05-2), provided they have graduated from a reputable dental hygiene college, are under the supervision of a supervising dentist, and have passed an examination as determined by the board of examiners in dentistry.

(d) Limited registration under this section may be revoked at any time by the director of the department of health or by the board.

(e) A dental college shall be considered reputable which possesses the following qualifications:

(1) It shall be incorporated and authorized by its charter to confer degrees of doctor of dental medicine, doctor of dental surgery, or doctor of dental science;

(2) It shall have a competent faculty and corps of instructors. The teaching staff shall deliver a comprehensive and satisfactory course of lectures supplemented by adequate clinical and laboratory exercises in all subjects pertaining to modern dentistry;

(3) It shall give a course of not less than four (4) separate academic years to matriculants who are graduates of accredited high schools or who present proof of equivalent training, or a course of not less than three (3) separate academic years to matriculants who present satisfactory proof of having successfully completed two (2) years of appropriate pre-dental training in a college or university authorized to grant degrees. Each academic year shall consist of not less than thirty- two (32) weeks; and

(4) The administrative policy of the dental college shall be such as to accomplish the requirements of this section.

(f) A dental hygiene college shall be considered reputable which possesses the following qualifications:

(1) It shall be incorporated and authorized by its charter to confer, at a minimum, an associate degree in dental hygiene;

(2) It shall have a competent faculty and corps of instructors. The teaching staff shall deliver a comprehensive and satisfactory course of lectures supplemented by adequate clinical and laboratory exercises in all subjects pertaining to modern dental hygiene;

(3) It shall give a course of not less than two (2) separate academic years to matriculants who are graduates of accredited high schools or who present proof of equivalent training. Each academic year shall consist of not less than thirty-two (32) weeks; and

(4) The administrative policy of the dental hygiene college shall be such as to accomplish the requirements of this section.

(g) The board and/or the director shall promulgate any rules and regulations that the board or the director deems necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.