Illinois can ease dentist shortage by passing student dental license reform
The Illinois Senate is considering a bill to allow dental students to practice under supervision with temporary licenses. Two-thirds of Illinois counties have a dentist shortage.
Illinois is facing a severe dental care shortage, especially in impoverished and rural counties, but a bill allowing dental students to receive temporary dental licenses could improve oral health care access.
The vast majority of Illinois is affected by a dentist shortage, with rural counties hit the hardest. As of April 2025, 69 of the state’s 102 counties had a county-wide dentist shortage, with another five counties, including the Chicago and Springfield areas, experiencing partial shortages.
House Bill 3019, sponsored by state Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, would delay the repeal date of the Illinois Dental Practice Act from Jan. 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2036. The bill would also amend the Illinois Dental Practice Act to create a “temporary dental hygiene license for dental students who meet certain requirements.” The legislation would further compel dental students holding such a temporary license to “practice under the supervision of a dentist” and that the license is valid for one year.
This change addresses a severe dental care shortage in Illinois. An Illinois Department of Public Health report found oral health in the state has gradually improved over the years, but tooth decay remains stubbornly high among Illinois children with 22% of third graders experiencing untreated tooth decay.
Another report found adult emergency room visits for oral health issues in Illinois are highest in rural and southern counties where the dentist shortage is most severe. Approximately 1 in 4 Illinois adults, or 2.5 million people, have untreated tooth decay.
Occupational licensing laws are a barrier to economic opportunity in Illinois across a broad range of vocations. There are 24.7% of Illinoisans who need an occupational license – essentially a government-issued permission slip – to work the job of their choice. Another 5% require workforce certification.
These regulatory obstacles hurt Illinois’ economy, including an estimated 135,000 lost jobs and $15.1 billion in misallocated resources. They also result in too many Illinoisans being unable to access dental care, with more than half of Illinois’ land area designated as below the target population-provider ratio of 4,000:1.
HB 3019 reduces professional license barriers to expand opportunities and improve social outcomes. The 103rd General Assembly had bipartisan support to take this even farther by reducing the licensing burdens on aspiring counselors, dentists, nurses and pharmacy clerks.
Common-sense reforms to allow more people to live and work in Illinois include adopting universal license recognition for workers in good standing who were licensed in other states. Illinois should also expand apprenticeship programs and online educational alternatives.
Whether it gets more people working or gets them the dental care they need, state lawmakers would serve constituents well by taking a rigorous look at occupational licensing in a state where there is just too much regulation.