Dental Board Votes to Promulgate Periodontal EFDA Rule (OPA) Member Support Will Be Critical In Coming Months
T
he MDA appreciates the Missouri Dental Board voting to promul- gate the rule language for the Periodontal EFDA (Oral Preven-
tive Assistant or OPA) at its May 14, 2026 meeting. This action represents a significant milestone in the multi-year effort to thought- fully study, evaluate and advance this model in Missouri.
The Board’s vote formally begins Missouri’s administrative rulemaking process for imple- mentation consideration of the Periodontal EFDA role. However, it is important to note that promulgation does not make the rule immediately effective or finalized. The pro- posed rule must still move through several stages of Missouri’s formal administrative review process before any final implementa- tion could occur, and that process may take several months.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The proposed rule will first be published in the Missouri Register, officially opening a 30- day public comment period.
Following the close of that comment period, the Missouri Dental Board must act on the rulemaking within 90 days, although the Board may withdraw the rulemaking at any point during the process (which is the im- petus to show support during the comment period).
If approved by the Board, the final order of rulemaking will then move to the Joint Com- mittee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for an additional 30-day review period.
Following JCAR review, the rule proceeds through final filing procedures before ulti- mately becoming effective 30 days after pub- lication within the Code of State Regulations.
CURRENT STATUS
As of the publication date, we are aware that the Missouri Dental Board has sent the proposed rule to the Division of Profes- sional Registration which in turn will send to the Governor’s office for approval to file. However, the public comment period has not opened. When it does, the MDA will:
• Send members an email and text alert with instructions and deadline for you and your dental team to participate (send letters of support).
• Provide a template letter and guidance for submitting comments.
STAYING ENGAGED
The promulgation of this rule is an im- portant and meaningful step forward, for which we are grateful, but it is not the final step. Continued engagement from Missouri dentists and dental teams will remain essen- tial throughout the rulemaking process. We will keep members informed as the process moves forward and will contact you again as soon as the formal public comment period opens.
Read more about OPA/Periodontal EFDA, including the pilot study summary, at
moefda.org/opa. Contact the MDA at
info@modental.org for any questions.
ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2026 | focus 13
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