Sen. Donna Bailey presents final report of the Commission to Expand Access to Dental Care to legislative committee

Posted: January 16, 2026 | Senator Bailey

AUGUSTA – On Wednesday, after months of meetings, Sen. Donna Bailey, D-Saco, and Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, presented the final report of the Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry to the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, which the Senator chairs.

Last fall, Sen. Bailey was appointed to serve as the Senate chair of the Commission. It was tasked with studying how to integrate foreign-trained dentists and out-of-state dentists into the dental care workforce. It reviewed 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 recommend changes to state laws and rules that pose unnecessary barriers for these dentists to enter Maine’s workforce.

“During my time in the Legislature, I have been deeply 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. I am hopeful that this report is the first step to helping Mainers get the dental care they need.”

The Commission worked on 9 recommendations for the full Legislature to consider, related to the following:

  • Strategies to integrate foreign-trained dentists and dentists from other states into the State’s dental care workforce
  • Changes to state laws and rules that may pose unnecessary barriers to practice for foreign-trained dentists and dentists from other states
  • Necessary supports for foreign-trained dentists and out-of-state dentists moving through the different steps in the licensing process prior to involvement with the Board of Dental Practice
  • Opportunities to advocate for corresponding changes to national licensing requirements
  • Any other matters pertaining to foreign-trained dentists and dentists from other states considered necessary.

Additionally, the Commission made potential recommendations concerning Limited Dentist Licenses, the Maine Board of Dental Practice, the Advanced Standing Track with the University of New England, MaineCare and dental specialists.

The final report is available online here. All of the Commission’s work can be found online here.

In the coming months, the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee will decide whether or not to develop any of the recommendations into bills for the full Legislature to consider.

In 2024, Sen. Bailey was appointed to chair a similar commission that made recommendations to increase the number of doctors in the state.

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