Dentists and advocates across the country have helped advance 400 pieces of legislation aimed at making dental insurance work better for patients and dentists, driving meaningful changes in states nationwide.

Earlier this year, the ADA reported that more than 100 dental insurance reform bills were introduced across 37 states during the 2026 legislative season. The momentum is growing with 18 states enacting 33 new laws so far this year, with more reforms expected this fall. During the last few years, specific issues such as assignment of benefits, virtual credit cards and provider network leasing laws have passed in over half the states, which is a significant development that policymakers will notice, thereby bolstering the chances for continued success.

In many instances, the ADA’s State Public Affairs program provided grants to dental societies that directly supported the advocacy activities leading to the successful passage of these new laws. While legislative successes can sometimes take years of advocacy to achieve, the investment aims to deliver great value to patients while reducing costs and complexity for dentists.
“Reaching 400 dental insurance reform laws is a powerful reflection of what can happen when dentists, patients and advocates work together to improve the system. Each law represents progress toward greater transparency, fairness and accountability in dental insurance and most importantly, better outcomes for the people who rely on dental care,” said ADA President Richard Rosato, D.M.D. “This milestone also demonstrates the power of being a member of organized dentistry. These are dental insurance issues that dentists tell me every day need to be addressed, and their membership — at the local, state and national level — has ensured that action these past years has been undertaken in a big way.”

The “Shifting the Balance of Power" resource provides a look at the growing momentum behind dental insurance reform. The document tracks progress year by year and state by state, showing how sustained advocacy is translating into new laws and stronger protections for patients and dentists.

For more information about dental insurance reform, visit ADA.org/dentalinsurance.