Sen. Cameron Reny appointed to newly created Commission to Expand Access to Dental Care
AUGUSTA — On Aug. 20, Sen. Cameron Reny, D-Bristol, was appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to the newly created Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry, established earlier this year under LD 1615.
“It’s too hard to find a dentist here in Maine,” said Sen. Reny. “Mainers deserve access to quality and affordable health and dental care. One of our state’s biggest challenges when it comes to dental care is the lack of dentists and oral health care professionals. I look forward to working with my fellow commission members to find solutions to increase the number of dentists here in Maine.”
The Commission is tasked with studying how to integrate foreign-trained dentists and out-of-state dentists into the dental care workforce. It will review the best practices that other states have used to address the shortage of dentists in their states. As a result of its work, the Commission could recommend changes to state laws and rules that pose unnecessary barriers for these dentists to enter Maine’s workforce. It will provide a report to the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee no later than Dec. 10, 2025.
The Commission’s appointees consist of a bipartisan group of lawmakers, dental care professionals and providers, and a representative from the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, which oversees certification and licensing. The appointments are made by the Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the House.
To learn more and subscribe to updates from the Commission to Expand Access to Dental Care, visit https://legislature.maine.gov/commission-to-expand-access-to-oral-health-care-by-studying-alternative-pathways-for-obtaining-a-license-to-practice-dentistry. The meeting schedule will be announced online and via the email list once it is finalized.
LD 1615 received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee and in the full Senate and House. Gov. Janet T. Mills signed it on July 1.
Sen. Reny is currently serving her second term in the Maine Senate. She is a member of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the Marine Resources Committee. In the 131st Maine State Legislature, Sen. Reny served on the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. She represents Maine Senate District 13, which includes most of Lincoln County and the towns of Washington and Windsor.
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