SPRINGFIELD — To expand access to dental care, State Senator Michael E. Hastings led a new law to ensure patients can access virtual dental care safely while maintaining strong professional standards.
“Dental health is not a luxury, it is a fundamental part of overall health,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “Yet, right here in our state, 69 out of 109 counties face full county-wide dentist shortages.”
Senate Bill 3211 will clarify when and how virtual dental care may be used, ensuring patients can access dental care safely while maintaining strong professional standards. Hastings stressed that the law will:
- Address critical access gaps.
- Reduce barriers for children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and low-income families with transportation, mobility or scheduling challenges.
- Enable care delivery in schools, long-term care facilities, community health centers and other settings where patients already are.
- Support early intervention, preventing minor oral health issues from becoming costly emergency room visits.
Virtual dental care has been found to offer patients and providers the flexibility needed to solve in-person limitations. Patients have the valuable option to directly reach out to a dentist from virtually anywhere. This approach allows dentists to conduct a detailed evaluation of the issue before recommending any treatment, resulting in significant time and cost savings. Consequently, this approach minimizes the need for travel and leads to shorter waiting times at dental offices.
For dentists, virtual consultations enable the option of examining more patients in a single day. Additionally, it may reduce the need to schedule follow-up appointments following treatment because dentists can keep in touch with their patients virtually to check on their progress and deliver advice as needed.
Senate Bill 3211 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
