The Wisconsin Dental Association today released the following statement from WDA President Dr. Cliff Hartmann (New Berlin):
“On behalf of the 3,100 members of the Wisconsin Dental Association, I want to thank both houses of the legislature for passing SB 392, which authorizes the use of Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries (EFDAs) in Wisconsin. We are especially grateful to Senator Mary Felzkowski and Representative Jon Plumer for their continued passion and dedication toward addressing oral health challenges in Wisconsin.
“EFDAs are used in nearly half of the nation and the military. Once trained, they are able to perform an expanded scope and can only perform these procedures while under the direct supervision of the supervising dentist. An EFDA can be used to improve access to care for underserved populations, and provide a way to deal with potential dental workforce shortages, like those we are currently seeing around the state.
“This is just the first step; we hope to build upon this legislation next session.
“We greatly appreciate the increased attention being paid to oral health in Wisconsin. We all agree that getting more people quality oral healthcare will require a multi-pronged approach, utilizing a variety of solutions. The WDA strongly believes creating EFDAs in Wisconsin is one of the prongs to do just that.
“This concludes a monumental legislative session for the WDA, which includes legislation authorizing dentists to administer COVID and influenza vaccines, a historic 40% Medicaid rate increase, and most recently our EFDA legislation.
“We look forward to seeing Gov. Tony Evers sign this important bill into law!”
About the Wisconsin Dental Association
The Wisconsin Dental Association, with 3,100 member dentists and a number of dental hygienists, is the leading voice for dentistry in Wisconsin. WDA members are committed to promoting professional excellence and quality oral health care. Established in 1870, the WDA is headquartered in West Allis and has a legislative office in Madison. The WDA is affiliated with the American Dental Association – the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. For more information, call 414-276-4520, visit WDA.org and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
