Dental therapist licensing by state
Quick Answer
A dental therapist is a licensed mid-level provider — trained beyond a dental hygienist but short of a dentist — now authorized in 14 states as of April 2026. Scope of practice ranges from preventive-only care to routine restorative work like fillings, is set individually by each state, and is always performed under a dentist's supervision or collaborative agreement.
14 states and counting
As of April 2026, the American Dental Therapy Association counts 14 states authorizing dental therapy: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Several other states have introduced legislation that hasn't yet passed, and at least one, Indiana, has specifically declined to authorize the role. This list moves quickly; find your state using the sidebar lookup for the current, board-specific answer.
Dental therapist scope of practice
A dental hygienist's scope centers on preventive and periodontal care. A dental therapist's scope typically goes further: in states that authorize the role, common duties include oral evaluations, dental prophylaxis (cleanings), radiographs, applying preventive agents like sealants and fluoride, and some routine restorative work, such as fillings and certain simple extractions, that would otherwise require a dentist.
Exactly how far that scope extends is set individually by each state, and it varies widely; this is the single biggest difference between states that authorize dental therapy, more than whether the role exists at all:
- Restorative-scope states authorize dental therapists to place fillings, stainless steel crowns, and perform limited, non-surgical extractions, in addition to preventive and diagnostic work.
- Preventive-scope states limit the role to non-restorative preventive and diagnostic services (oral evaluations, cleanings, radiographs, sealants, and fluoride) without authorizing fillings or extractions.
Even a restorative-scope dental therapist's duties go further than an expanded function dental assistant (EFDA), a separate role limited to narrower delegated restorative tasks like placing and carving filling material a dentist has already prepared: a dental therapist can diagnose, extract, and place a filling independently within their state's scope.
Every state that authorizes dental therapy also requires some form of supervision or a written collaborative practice agreement with a dentist, and many tie the level of required supervision to which procedures are being performed; dental therapists don't practice independently anywhere. Because scope is set state by state and changes as legislation passes, find your state using the sidebar lookup and confirm the current rule directly rather than relying on a general summary.
Becoming a dental therapist
Dental therapy is a distinct accredited education track, not an add-on certification: typically a bachelor's or master's-level program combining classroom, lab, and clinical training. Graduates sit for a national or state-recognized clinical exam, and most states require entering into a collaborative practice agreement with a supervising dentist before beginning practice.
A few states (Idaho is one) currently limit dental therapy practice to federal and tribal health settings rather than authorizing it statewide. Alaska's Dental Health Aide Therapist program, one of the oldest in the country, also grew out of tribal health care before other states began authorizing the broader role.
Dental Therapist Questions
What is a dental therapist? +
A dental therapist is a mid-level oral health provider — trained beyond a dental hygienist but not a full dentist — authorized to perform a defined set of routine restorative and preventive procedures, always under some form of supervision or a collaborative practice agreement with a dentist.
Is a dental therapist the same as a dental hygienist? +
No. A dental hygienist's scope centers on preventive and periodontal care. A dental therapist's scope typically goes further — in states that authorize it, therapists can perform some of the same routine restorative work a dentist would otherwise handle, such as fillings or certain simple extractions, in addition to preventive services.
What is a dental therapist's scope of practice? +
It varies by state, but generally sits between a dental hygienist and a dentist: oral evaluations, cleanings, radiographs, and preventive treatments like sealants and fluoride are common everywhere therapists are authorized. Whether that scope extends further — to routine restorative work such as fillings, stainless steel crowns, or simple, non-surgical extractions — depends entirely on the individual state's practice act. Some states authorize that fuller restorative scope; others limit dental therapists to preventive and diagnostic services only. Every state requires supervision or a written collaborative practice agreement with a dentist regardless of how far the scope extends.
Which states license dental therapists? +
As of April 2026, the American Dental Therapy Association counts 14 states authorizing dental therapy: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. More states have introduced legislation, and a few — including Indiana — have specifically declined to authorize the role. See the state list below for what your state's board says.
Can a dental therapist practice independently, without a dentist? +
No. Every state that authorizes dental therapy requires some form of supervision or a written collaborative practice agreement with a dentist — the specifics of how closely a dentist must supervise, and what procedures require which supervision level, vary by state.
Is dental therapy only available on tribal land? +
Not everywhere, but in a few states it is. Idaho, for instance, currently limits dental therapy practice to federal and tribal health settings. Alaska's Dental Health Aide Therapist program, one of the oldest in the country, also grew out of tribal health care. Other states, like Minnesota and Vermont, authorize dental therapists more broadly.
What if my state doesn't license dental therapists? +
Any procedure that would fall within a dental therapist's scope elsewhere remains solely within the licensed dentist's scope of practice in a state that hasn't authorized the role — there's no alternate credential that covers it.