FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADHA Statement on Failed Nevada Healthcare Bill Containing Harmful Dental Hygiene Provisions
After strong opposition from the dental hygiene community, SB 495 fails to pass with problematic licensure language intact
CHICAGO, June 3, 2025 – The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), the Nevada Dental Hygienists’ Association (NVDHA), and the broader dental hygiene professional community achieved an important success in their fight against harmful dental hygiene provisions in Nevada’s SB 495. The bill ultimately failed to pass, preventing Sections 77-79 from undermining dental hygiene education standards and creating a concerning precedent for professional licensing that ADHA could not support. While the comprehensive healthcare bill faced various legislative challenges, the efforts of the ADHA and NVDHA to mobilize opposition to Sections 77-79 contributed to ensuring these problematic provisions did not advance.
This follows another success through ADHA’s advocacy efforts earlier this year, when Nevada lawmakers amended AB 334 to remove language allowing expanded function dental assistants (EFDAs) to perform scaling procedures.
Sections 77–79 of SB 495 would have directed the Nevada Board of Dental Examiners to create an alternative licensure pathway outside of dental hygiene programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Instead of requiring graduation from a traditional CODA-accredited dental hygiene program, these provisions would have allowed individuals to complete a course of training under the supervision of a licensed dentist. The proposal represented an on-the-job training approach in place of formal education — a dangerous shift from established accreditation and professional licensure requirements.
“Last night’s outcome demonstrates the power of our profession when we unite to protect patient safety and educational standards,” said ADHA President Erin Haley-Hitz, RDH, BSDH, MS. “Our profession’s commitment to rigorous education and training is non-negotiable. We remain hopeful that Nevada will pursue workforce solutions that maintain the integrity of dental hygiene education while addressing legitimate healthcare access needs.”
Throughout the legislative process, ADHA and NVDHA coordinated opposition to these provisions, activating members, engaging the media, rallying support across the dental community, and urging lawmakers to act. ADHA applauds NVDHA leadership for their tireless efforts working with lawmakers in Carson City, and ADHA President-Elect Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, for her relentless advocacy, meeting face-to-face with senators and hands-on lobbying to ensure lawmakers understood the implications for public safety and the stakes for our profession.
The organizations extend deep appreciation to the overwhelming response from Nevada dental hygienists, ADHA members and dental hygienists across the United States, and allied professional organizations who wrote to Nevada legislators opposing the harmful language in this bill. This unified advocacy effort prevented what could have been a dangerous precedent.
In nearly all states, dental hygienists earn a minimum of an associate degree in dental hygiene, including nearly 3,000 hours of comprehensive didactic and clinical training from CODA-accredited institutions. Nevada sets a higher standard, with all dental hygiene programs in the state awarding bachelor’s degrees rather than associate degrees, aligning with ADHA’s policy supporting higher education. Many dental hygienists pursue graduate degrees and advanced licensure as dental therapists, further strengthening the oral health workforce and expanding access to care in underserved and rural communities.
ADHA acknowledges the challenges of the national oral healthcare workforce shortage and is actively advancing evidence-based solutions. These include initiatives such as chairside recruitment programs, expanding dental therapy, integrating teledentistry, and supporting licensed professionals through meaningful retention. The organization recently released the 2025 Workforce Growth Initiatives report that outlines ADHA’s current efforts to grow the dental hygiene workforce without compromising public safety.
“ADHA recognizes the real challenges facing our healthcare workforce, but the solution is not to lower standards or bypass proven educational pathways,” said Haley-Hitz. “We must invest in growing our profession through evidence-based strategies that maintain the rigorous training patients deserve. Sustainable workforce solutions require commitment to recruitment, retention and excellence, not shortcuts that compromise care.”
This outcome demonstrates that when our profession stands together, we can protect both the public we serve and the standards that define our practice. ADHA remains committed to working with Nevada policymakers on future legislation that addresses workforce needs while upholding educational standards that protect patients and maintain professional integrity.
For more on ADHA’s policy positions and advocacy efforts, visit adha.org/newsroom
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About the American Dental Hygienists’ Association
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is the only organization representing the professional interests of the more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. The Journal of Dental Hygiene (JDH), published bi-monthly, is ADHA’s scientific journal and flagship publication. To learn more about the ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit adha.org.
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