A bill in Pennsylvania that would have provided insurance coverage for anesthesia has been tabled. House Bill 1049 would have provided mandatory insurance coverage for general anesthesia for dental care of patients who are seven years of age or younger, or those who cannot receive treatment without anesthesia because of other medical conditions. This bill was tabled on Oct. 7, 2009 after being amended in the House Insurance Committee.

In Virginia, the Board of Dentistry will be considering amending the rules on sedation for dentists. The proposed regulations eliminate the distinction between conscious sedation and deep sedation, and institute a permitting process with inspection of dental offices to ensure they are appropriately equipped to handle emergency situations. The proposal will also create an “Anesthesia Review Committee” to assist the profession and the public with issues related to anxiety, pain control and sedation in dentistry.

Dentists and dental hygienists in Idaho may soon have new regulations to contend with. The Idaho Board of Dentistry has proposed rules to define the procedures necessary for specialty examinations for licensure. The new regulations would also provide that not more than eight (8) of the required continuing education credits for license renewals for dentists be from self-study, and not more than six (6) of the required continuing education credits for license renewals for dental hygienists be from self-study. If the new rules are adopted, a dentist would be able to use other anesthesia personnel in his office during dental procedures without the necessity of having an anesthesia permit, so long as the dentist's facilities meet the same requirements as a dentist who holds a permit.

A new law in California prohibits a dentist, or their employee or agent, from arranging for or establishing 3rd party credit for a patient without first providing a written notice and treatment plan. Assembly Bill 171, signed into law on Oct. 11, 2009, also prohibits an arrangement or establishment of credit with a patient who has been administered or is under the influence of general anesthesia, conscious sedation, or nitrous oxide. Finally, the new law requires a specified staff-model dental health care service plan to establish and comply with policies and procedures that ensure compliance.

The AGD’s White Paper on Increasing Access to and Utilization of Oral Health Care Services is getting some notice in Missouri. In September, the office of State Representative Bert Atkins contacted the AGD Government Relations Department to request a copy of this document. AGD sent a copy of this document to all state legislature Health Care Committee Chairs last spring.