AAE Advocacy Win: Arkansas and Nebraska Join Dental Compact, Expanding Interstate Practice Opportunities

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed 28 bills earlier this month, including the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. (Photo Source: KNWA Fox)

The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) celebrates a major advocacy achievement as Arkansas and Nebraska officially join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDH Compact). These pieces of legislation, signed into law by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen in April 2025, streamlines licensure portability for dental professionals, allowing them to practice across participating states with greater ease. 

The AAE has played a proactive role in supporting this initiative by submitting letters of support in all states that have introduced the DDH model legislation this legislative session emphasizing the compact’s importance for patient access and professional mobility This legislative session the AAE has proactively engaged in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont. 

Arkansas’s and Nebraska’s adoption represents continued momentum toward nationwide implementation of the compact—and a significant win for dental professionals and the patients they serve. The AAE was one of the original supporting organizations of the DDH Compact alongside the Department of Defense, American Dental Association, Council of State Governments, American Dental Education Association, American Association of Orthodontists, and more.  

The DDH Compact aims to improve access to dental care, especially in underserved areas—by reducing regulatory barriers and enabling dentists and dental hygienists to respond more rapidly to workforce needs. For an up-to-date view of states that have enacted or are considering the compact, visit the DDH Compact Map.