When the Connecticut legislature gaveled out on May 6, several bills didn’t make it across the finish line. Among them was a proposal that would have allowed dental cleanings in private residences.
State law already allows dental hygienists to provide cleanings without a dentist’s supervision in places like nursing homes and hospitals.
Supporters of the measure said it would have helped people who are homebound, such as people with disabilities or seniors, who may have difficulty getting to a dentist.
“There's transportation issues, as we know, in the state of Connecticut,” said Michael Werner, a legislative aging policy analyst with the state’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, who supported the measure. “And one of the most innovative ways to address that problem would be to allow for dental hygienists to visit them in the home.
Cleanings are an important preventative measure, Werner added, with poor oral health in adults over 65 years old frequently linked to chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
House lawmakers unanimously approved the measure. However, it didn't get called for a final vote in the Senate before the session ended.
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said leadership hoped to move the measure through the Senate on the consent calendar, when multiple bills are grouped together in one vote.
“Unfortunately, opposition emerged among Senate members and with the final days of session consumed by many different priorities, we simply ran out of time to work through those concerns," Duff wrote in a statement.
State Rep. Jane Garibay (D-Windsor), who co-chairs the Aging Committee, said she was disappointed in the result.
“It was a setback, but we will try again next year,” Garibay wrote in a statement.
State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-Newtown), a ranking member of the Aging Committee, said after the House vote that the bill was part of the goal to expand health services for those aging in place, “including making those services more portable for residents who might otherwise miss out on preventative care.”
The bill language outlined that dental hygienists would need to have at least two years of experience, and would be limited to providing cleanings and making referrals to a dentist if further oral care was needed.
Connecticut lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene next in January 2027.
