Easier requirements asked to lure dentists to Nevada

Tuesday, May 8, 2001 | 10 a.m.

A bill being considered in the state Senate Wednesday would make it easier for out-of-state dentists to move their practices to Nevada, although those already working here say easing the rules would lure inferior dentists.

State Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she's sponsoring Senate Bill 133 because of a desperate need statewide for dentists. There are about four dentists per 10,000 people in Southern Nevada, Titus said.

Since Nevada lacks testing facilities, dentists seeking licenses must go to California to take a board exam. They also are required to bring several of their own patients to serve as witnesses. The process has been called time-consuming and expensive by many dentists who are considering resettling in Nevada, Titus said.

"Meanwhile, a lot of children in our Head Start programs wind up going to the emergency room because their teeth have never been looked at," Titus said.

In Titus' plan, dentists who have at least five years' experience with no record of discipline would be issued a two-year temporary permit, and then a permanent license. A board exam would not be required.

Experienced dental hygenists would also be granted temporary licenses without an exam. Dentists whose licenses have been revoked would not qualify.

Renee Johnson, a dentist who has been practicing in Green Valley for two years, said the board exam is an essential safeguard. About 30 percent of the dentists who take the Nevada board exam pass.

"If we skip the exam, we'll be letting in the bottom of the barrel," said Johnson, who grew up in the Las Vegas area.

Nevada has one of the lowest rates in the nation of dental malpractice suits, in part because of its strict licensing standards, Johnson said. Unlike states that practice reciprocity and accept other licenses, Nevada requires dentists to pass its own state standards.

Dr. Dee Deevers, a dentist in Green Valley for 10 years, said the bill to ease the licensing requirements won't solve the underlying problem -- a lack of dentists in rural areas. Dentists who come to Nevada under the proposed rules wouldn't be obligated to open up practices in areas that most desperately need their services, Deevers said.

"They're going to set up shop where the money is," Deevers said.

Deevers said he was also concerned about relying on the licensing boards of other states to identify inferior dentists.

"What about the guy who's just about to get sued or lose his license? ... (H)e picks up and moves here," Deevers said.