State-based dental hygiene scope of practice (DH SOP) laws, regulations, and policies define the services that dental hygienists are authorized to perform and the supervision requirements under which they may provide those services. Variation in these laws across states can impact access to oral health care and contribute to workforce shortages in states with more restrictive regulations. In 2001, the Oral Health Workforce Research Center developed the Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) to measure variation in state-level DH SOP policies. The index was used to assess DH SOP across all US states in 2001 and 2014 and was subsequently revised and updated in 2016 to reflect changes in the dental hygiene practice environment. An infographic was also developed in 2016, which depicted variation in DH SOP across states.

This research brief explores the latest 2026 update to the DHPPI scoring tool and examines changes in DH SOP over time by comparing 2026 DHPPI scores and infographic findings with those from prior assessments.