Bill advances to give dental care to disabled Medicaid patients

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The University of Utah's new dentistry school needs patients for student practice. And blind and disabled Utahns on Medicaid lack insured dental care.

So the Senate passed a bill Friday that attempts to solve both issues.

It passed SB39 on a 24-0 vote, and sent it to the House, to allow dental care for the blind and disabled on Medicare, but require that much of it happen at the dentistry school.

Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, sponsor of the bill, said it also requires the dentistry school to cover the non-federal cost of the dental care.