New Mexico Is Slow to Implement Midlevel Practitioner

In 2019, New Mexico passed legislation to enable the licensure of a new dental provider: the dental therapist. However, implementation of the bill has been slow with little progress being made since 2019. No dental therapists are licensed yet in the state. New Mexico has a significant access-to-dental-care problem with thousands of residents living in areas without enough dentists. More than 25% of children ages 12 and younger have untreated dental caries. Click here to read more.