{"id":30301,"date":"2026-02-19T13:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aae.org\/specialty\/?p=30301"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:48:14","slug":"aae-opposes-proposed-expansion-of-dental-therapists-scope-of-practice-in-minnesota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aae.org\/specialty\/aae-opposes-proposed-expansion-of-dental-therapists-scope-of-practice-in-minnesota\/","title":{"rendered":"AAE Opposes Proposed Expansion of Dental Therapists\u2019 Scope of Practice in Minnesota\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Minnesota Board of Dentistry is considering proposed revisions to state regulations that would expand the scope of practice for dental therapists. These changes represent a significant shift in Minnesota\u2019s long-standing regulatory framework governing the delivery of dental care. If adopted, the proposal would blur established professional roles, weaken accountability, and raise serious concerns about patient safety and standards of care.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In response, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) submitted formal opposition to the Board, emphasizing that scope-of-practice decisions must align with a provider\u2019s education, training, and level of clinical responsibility. Endodontists\u00a0complete rigorous, Commission on Dental Accreditation\u00a0(CODA)\u2013accredited postdoctoral education to ensure competence in diagnosing and managing complex disease. Expanding dental therapists\u2019 authority beyond their intended supportive role risks delegating critical clinical responsibilities to practitioners who are not trained to assume them independently.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The AAE also underscored that this issue extends beyond access to care. While improving access is an important policy objective, it cannot come at the expense of safety, quality, or professional standards. Expanding scope of practice by redefining core clinical responsibilities sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the dentist-led model of care that has long protected patients. Dental therapists play an important role\u00a0on\u00a0the oral health care team, but that role is designed to complement,\u00a0not replace,\u00a0dentist oversight and accountability.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Additionally, expanding scope of practice risks creating confusion for patients about provider qualifications and responsibility for care. When regulatory lines are blurred, patients may reasonably assume that all providers are equally trained to deliver the same\u00a0level of care. This confusion erodes public trust in the dental care delivery system and conflicts with the Board\u2019s fundamental responsibility to protect public health.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The AAE urged the Minnesota Board of Dentistry to reject the proposed scope-of-practice expansion and to maintain existing regulatory definitions that appropriately reflect education, training, and professional responsibility. The Association also called for additional stakeholder engagement, including meaningful dialogue with dental specialty organizations, before advancing any further changes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Through consistent, evidence-based advocacy, the AAE continues to stand firm against regulatory efforts that threaten patient safety and professional standards. Our engagement in Minnesota reflects the Association\u2019s ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of dental specialties\u2014and to\u00a0supporting\u00a0endodontists as they provide high-quality, specialist-level care to patients every day.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minnesota Board of Dentistry is considering proposed revisions to state regulations that would expand the scope of practice for dental therapists. These changes represent a significant shift in Minnesota\u2019s&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[],"feature":[200],"class_list":["post-30301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advocacy","feature-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AAE Opposes Proposed Expansion of Dental Therapists\u2019 Scope of Practice in Minnesota\u00a0 - American Association of Endodontists<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aae.org\/specialty\/aae-opposes-proposed-expansion-of-dental-therapists-scope-of-practice-in-minnesota\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AAE Opposes Proposed Expansion of Dental Therapists\u2019 Scope of Practice in Minnesota\u00a0 - American Association of Endodontists\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Minnesota Board of Dentistry is considering proposed revisions to state regulations that would expand the scope of practice for dental therapists. 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