Sen. Donna Bailey appointed chair of the newly created Commission to Expand Access to Dental Care

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Sen. Donna Bailey, D-Saco, was appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to chair the newly created Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry, established under LD 1615. It was a bill that the sponsor brought to the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services, which Sen. Bailey chairs.

“In the Legislature, I am committed to addressing the workforce shortages that make it harder for Mainers to access the care they need, such as dental work,” said Sen. Bailey. “We all know how frustrating it can be when we can’t find a dentist who is accepting new patients or when the wait is months long. If we increase the number of licensed, trained dentists, then we can reduce the long wait times and serious health problems that occur from delayed treatments. Last year, I was appointed to chair a similar commission that made recommendations to increase the number of doctors in the state, so I am ready to get to work.”

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.

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. Donna Bailey is currently serving her third term in the Maine Senate. She is the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. She also serves on the Housing and Economic Development Committee. She represents Senate District 31, which includes Buxton, Old Orchard Beach and Saco.

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