Bill Text: IL SB3211 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Makes changes concerning the definition of "patient of record", both for the Act and for the provisions concerning teledentistry. Defines "synchronous". Specifies that a dentist may delegate dental services using teledentistry to an Illinois-licensed dental hygienist. Provides that a dental hygienist may perform oral prophylaxis procedures; may apply fluoride treatments, but not any product used for the remineralization of teeth, including, but not limited to, silver diamine fluoride; and may process x-rays, as ordered by the supervising dentist, on a patient of record if an Illinois-licensed dentist has examined, diagnosed, and authorized such procedures using synchronous systems. Provides that a person is limited to 2 oral prophylaxis procedures performed by a licensed dental hygienist using teledentistry until an in-person examination by a licensed dentist has been completed. Provides that local anesthetics and nitrous oxide may not be used during an oral prophylaxis procedure in a teledentistry service by a dental hygienist. Sets forth requirements for the informed consent form. Provides that an initial screening may only be provided using teledentistry by an Illinois-licensed dentist to assess suitability of the patient for treatment at a dental facility or for certain conditions that present immediate harm or discomfort to the patient for which treatment cannot be postponed. Provides that a provider of dental services rendering care or providing a screening through teledentistry (instead of rendering emergent care or conducting an initial consultation through teledentistry) must direct the patient to receive appropriate in-person care after the provision of teledentistry services. Provides that an initial examination may be provided using teledentistry but shall only be conducted for the purpose of providing a consultation for specific services or for treating or assessing acute pain, infection, injury, or any intraoral or perioral condition that presents immediate harm or discomfort that cannot be postponed. Provides that an initial examination for new patients, excluding patients seeking orthodontic, sleep apnea, or snoring treatment or the functional and cosmetic replacement or treatment of teeth, may be conducted through teledentistry. Provides that an initial examination for orthodontia, sleep apnea, or snoring treatment or the functional and cosmetic replacement or treatment of teeth shall be performed in person only. Provides that in-person clinical examination shall be performed immediately before providing or authorizing services or treatments to patients that are not reversible or that otherwise result in an increased risk to the patient. Provides that, for ongoing dentist-patient relationships, dentists shall direct patients to be seen in person at least annually. Provides that nothing in the provisions shall be construed to expand the scope of practice for dental hygienists or establish independent hygiene practice. Makes other changes.

Sponsorship: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-2)

Status: (Passed) 2026-08-21 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0845 [SB3211 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB3211-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Dental Practice Act is amended by
changing Sections 4 and 17.2 as follows:
(225 ILCS 25/4)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
Sec. 4. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Address of record" means the designated address recorded
by the Department in the applicant's or licensee's application
file or license file as maintained by the Department's
licensure maintenance unit. It is the duty of the applicant or
licensee to inform the Department of any change of address and
those changes must be made either through the Department's
website or by contacting the Department.
"Email address of record" means the designated email
address recorded by the Department in the applicant's
application file or the licensee's license file, as maintained
by the Department's licensure maintenance unit.
"Department" means the Department of Financial and
Professional Regulation.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and
Professional Regulation.

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"Board" means the Board of Dentistry.
"Dentist" means a person who has received a general
license pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 11 of this Act,
and who may perform any intraoral and extraoral procedure
required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is reserved
the responsibilities specified in Section 17.
"Dental hygienist" means a person who holds a license
under this Act to perform dental services as authorized by
Section 18.
"Dental assistant" means an appropriately trained person
who, under the supervision of a dentist, provides dental
services as authorized by Section 17.
"Expanded function dental assistant" means a dental
assistant who has completed the training required by Section
17.1 of this Act.
"Dental laboratory" means a person, firm, or corporation
which:
(i) engages in making, providing, repairing, or
altering dental prosthetic appliances and other artificial
materials and devices which are returned to a dentist for
insertion into the human oral cavity or which come in
contact with its adjacent structures and tissues; and
(ii) utilizes or employs a dental technician to
provide such services; and
(iii) performs such functions only for a dentist or
dentists.

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"Supervision" means supervision of a dental hygienist or a
dental assistant requiring that a dentist authorize the
procedure, remain in the dental facility while the procedure
is performed, and approve the work performed by the dental
hygienist or dental assistant before dismissal of the patient,
but does not mean that the dentist must be present at all times
in the treatment room.
"General supervision" means supervision of a dental
hygienist requiring that the patient be a patient of record,
that the dentist examine the patient in accordance with
Section 18 prior to treatment by the dental hygienist, and
that the dentist authorize the procedures which are being
carried out by a notation in the patient's record, but not
requiring that a dentist be present when the authorized
procedures are being performed. The issuance of a prescription
to a dental laboratory by a dentist does not constitute
general supervision.
"Public member" means a person who is not a health
professional. For purposes of board membership, any person
with a significant financial interest in a health service or
profession is not a public member.
"Dentistry" means the healing art which is concerned with
the examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and care of
conditions within the human oral cavity and its adjacent
tissues and structures, as further specified in Section 17.
"Branches of dentistry" means the various specialties of

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dentistry which, for purposes of this Act, shall be limited to
the following: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery,
orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry,
periodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial
radiology, dental anesthesiology, oral and maxillofacial
pathology, dental public health, oral medicine, and orofacial
pain.
"Specialist" means a dentist who has received a specialty
license pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 11.
"Dental technician" means a person who owns, operates, or
is employed by a dental laboratory and engages in making,
providing, repairing, or altering dental prosthetic appliances
and other artificial materials and devices which are returned
to a dentist for insertion into the human oral cavity or which
come in contact with its adjacent structures and tissues.
"Informed consent" means legally valid consent that is
given by a patient or legal guardian, that is recorded in
writing or digitally, that authorizes intervention or
treatment services from the treating dentist, and that
documents agreement to participate in those services and
knowledge of the risks, benefits, and alternatives, including
the decision to withdraw from or decline treatment.
"Impaired dentist" or "impaired dental hygienist" means a
dentist or dental hygienist who is unable to practice with
reasonable skill and safety because of a physical or mental
disability as evidenced by a written determination or written

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consent based on clinical evidence, including deterioration
through the aging process, loss of motor skills, abuse of
drugs or alcohol, or a psychiatric disorder, of sufficient
degree to diminish the person's ability to deliver competent
patient care.
"Nurse" means a registered professional nurse, a certified
registered nurse anesthetist licensed as an advanced practice
registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse licensed under
the Nurse Practice Act.
"Patient of record", except as provided in Section 17.2,
means a patient for whom the patient's most recent dentist has
obtained a relevant medical and dental history and on whom the
dentist has performed a physical examination within the last
year and evaluated the condition to be treated, including a
review of the patient's most recent x-rays.
"Dental responder" means a dentist or dental hygienist who
is appropriately certified in disaster preparedness,
immunizations, and dental humanitarian medical response
consistent with the Society of Disaster Medicine and Public
Health and training certified by the National Incident
Management System or the National Disaster Life Support
Foundation.
"Mobile dental van or portable dental unit" means any
self-contained or portable dental unit in which dentistry is
practiced that can be moved, towed, or transported from one
location to another in order to establish a location where

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dental services can be provided.
"Public health dental hygienist" means a hygienist who
holds a valid license to practice in the State, has 2 years of
full-time clinical experience or an equivalent of 4,000 hours
of clinical experience, and has completed at least 42 clock
hours of additional structured courses in dental education in
advanced areas specific to public health dentistry.
"Public health setting" means a federally qualified health
center; a federal, State, or local public health facility;
Head Start; a special supplemental nutrition program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) facility; a certified
school-based health center or school-based oral health
program; a prison; or a long-term care facility.
"Public health supervision" means the supervision of a
public health dental hygienist by a licensed dentist who has a
written public health supervision agreement with that public
health dental hygienist while working in an approved facility
or program that allows the public health dental hygienist to
treat patients, without a dentist first examining the patient
and being present in the facility during treatment, (1) who
are eligible for Medicaid or (2) who are uninsured or whose
household income is not greater than 300% of the federal
poverty level.
"Teledentistry" means the use of telehealth systems and
methodologies in dentistry and includes patient diagnosis,
treatment planning, care, and education delivery for a patient

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of record using synchronous and asynchronous communications
under an Illinois licensed dentist's authority as provided
under this Act.
"Synchronous" means the transmission of a patient's health
care information through a real-time, 2-way interaction
between a patient and a dentist or dental office using
audiovisual telecommunication technology.
"Moderate sedation" means a drug-induced depression of
consciousness during which: (1) patients respond purposefully
to verbal commands, either alone or accompanied by light
tactile stimulation; (2) no interventions are required to
maintain a patient's airway and spontaneous ventilation is
adequate; and (3) cardiovascular function is usually
maintained.
"Deep sedation" means a drug-induced depression of
consciousness during which: (1) patients cannot be easily
aroused, but respond purposefully following repeated or
painful stimulation; (2) the ability to independently maintain
ventilatory function may be impaired; (3) patients may require
assistance in maintaining airways and spontaneous ventilation
may be inadequate; and (4) cardiovascular function is usually
maintained.
"General anesthesia" means a drug-induced loss of
consciousness during which: (1) patients are not arousable,
even by painful stimulation; (2) the ability to independently
maintain ventilatory function is often impaired; (3) patients

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often require assistance in maintaining airways and positive
pressure ventilation may be required because of depressed
spontaneous ventilation or drug-induced depression of
neuromuscular function; and (4) cardiovascular function may be
impaired.
"Venipuncture" means the puncture of a vein as part of a
medical procedure, typically to withdraw a blood sample or for
an intravenous catheter for the administration of medication
or fluids.
"Enteral route of administration" means administration of
a drug that is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract or
through oral, rectal, or sublingual mucosa.
"Parenteral route of administration" means administration
of a drug by which the drug bypasses the gastrointestinal
tract through intramuscular, intravenous, intranasal,
submucosal, subcutaneous, or intraosseous methods.
(Source: P.A. 103-425, eff. 1-1-24; 103-431, eff. 1-1-24;
103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-628, eff. 7-1-24; 103-902, eff.
8-9-24; 104-103, eff. 8-1-25; 104-151, eff. 1-1-26; 104-417,
eff. 8-15-25; revised 9-15-25.)
(225 ILCS 25/17.2)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2031)
Sec. 17.2. Teledentistry.
(a) As used in this Section, "patient of record" means a
patient for whom the patient's most recent Illinois-licensed

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dentist has obtained a relevant medical and dental history and
on whom the dentist has (i) performed a physical examination
within the last year; (ii) obtained relevant records that are
appropriate for the type of teledentistry service being
provided from an in-person examination within the previous 12
months, including a review of the patient's most recent
x-rays; provided that if none are available, the supervising
dentist must order x-rays and they must be reviewed by the
licensed dentist prior to treatment; or (iii) established a
relationship with the patient through an exchange of protected
health information for the purpose of screening a patient
providing emergency care, treatment, or services in accordance
with the requirements of subsection (c); or (iv) established a
relationship with the patient through an exchange of protected
health information that meets the requirements of subsection
(d) subsection (c). A patient who receives teledentistry
services under this Section shall receive a referral to an
Illinois-licensed dentist to receive appropriate in-person
care.
(b) A dentist may only practice or utilize teledentistry
on a patient of record. A dentist practicing dentistry through
teledentistry is subject to the same standard of care and
practice standards that are applicable to dental services
provided in a clinic or office setting. A dentist may provide
and delegate dental services using teledentistry to an
Illinois-licensed dental hygienist only under the supervision

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requirements as specified in this Act for in-person care. A
dental hygienist may perform oral prophylaxis procedures; may
apply fluoride treatments, but not any product used for the
remineralization of teeth, including, but not limited to,
silver diamine fluoride; and may process x-rays as ordered by
the supervising dentist on a patient of record only after an
Illinois-licensed dentist has examined, diagnosed, and
authorized such procedures using synchronous systems. A person
is limited to 2 oral prophylaxis procedures performed by a
licensed dental hygienist using teledentistry until an
in-person examination by a licensed dentist has been
completed. Local anesthetics and nitrous oxide may not be used
during an oral prophylaxis procedure in a teledentistry
service by a dental hygienist. Prior to providing
teledentistry services to a patient, a dentist must obtain
informed consent from the patient as to the treatment proposed
to be offered through teledentistry by the dentist. The
informed consent form shall include a written statement
explaining the alternatives to and the capabilities and
limitations of teledentistry and shall advise that a
teledentistry interaction is not equivalent to an in-person
clinical examination and that the dentist is not physically
present. Such consent shall also be documented and included in
the patient's record. A dentist and dental hygienist providing
services via teledentistry under this Section shall provide
the patient with their names his or her name, direct telephone

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numbers number, and physical practice addresses address. It is
a violation of this Act for a provider of dental services
rendering care through teledentistry to require a patient to
sign an agreement that limits in any way the patient's ability
to write a review of services received or file a complaint with
the Department or other regulatory agency. The Department
shall adopt rules, including, but not limited to, minimal
technology standards for teledentistry and rules to provide
for the use of teledentistry in the State of Illinois.
(c) A dentist may treat a patient of record to provide
emergent care or to conduct an initial screening consultation
using teledentistry. An initial screening may only be provided
using teledentistry by an Illinois-licensed dentist to assess
suitability of the patient for treatment at a dental facility
or for assessing for acute pain, infection, injury, or an
intraoral or perioral condition that presents immediate harm
or discomfort to the patient for which treatment cannot be
postponed for the purpose of treating or assessing for acute
pain, infection, injury, or any intraoral or perioral
condition that presents immediate harm or discomfort to the
patient for which treatment cannot be postponed. A provider of
dental services rendering care or providing a screening
through emergent care or conducting an initial consultation
through teledentistry must direct the patient to receive
appropriate in-person care after the provision of
teledentistry services.

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(d) An initial examination may be provided using
teledentistry but shall only be conducted for the purpose of
providing a consultation, for the provision of services
authorized in subsection (b), or for treating or assessing
acute pain, infection, injury, or any intraoral or perioral
condition that presents immediate harm or discomfort to the
patient for which treatment cannot be postponed. A provider of
dental services rendering care or providing a teledentistry
examination must direct the patient to receive appropriate
in-person care after the provision of teledentistry services.
An initial examination for new patients, excluding patients
seeking orthodontic, sleep apnea, or snoring treatment or the
functional and cosmetic replacement or treatment of teeth, may
be conducted through teledentistry if the authorizing
Illinois-licensed dentist establishes a bona fide
dentist-patient relationship by reviewing the patient's
medical and dental history and verifying both the patient's
identity and physical location to ensure that dental care is
being administered within the State.
An initial examination for orthodontia, sleep apnea, or
snoring treatment or the functional and cosmetic replacement
or treatment of teeth shall be performed in person only.
Additionally, an in-person clinical examination shall be
performed immediately before providing or authorizing services
or treatments to patients that are not reversible or that
otherwise result in increased risk to the patient. For ongoing

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dentist-patient relationships, dentists shall direct patients
to be seen in person at least annually.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to expand the
scope of practice for dental hygienists or establish
independent hygiene practice.
(Source: P.A. 103-902, eff. 8-9-24; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)