Colorado dentists and dental hygienists can now legally give patients age 6 and older flu, HPV and COVID-19 vaccines, under a new state dental board rule that took effect June 30, 2026. The same rulemaking package also bars dental support organizations from acting as the proprietor of a Colorado dental practice. Dentists who want to give shots must first complete required immunization training.
Key facts
- Rule 1.33 took effect June 30, 2026, letting Colorado dentists and hygienists administer flu, HPV and COVID vaccines to patients 6 and older, per the Colorado Dental Association's rulemaking summary published in 2026.
- Dentists need 20 hours of vaccine training to administer shots in private practice, or 4 hours if they work in an integrated public health setting, plus 2 hours of continuing education every two years, per the Colorado Dental Association.
- A Denver Health pilot that folded vaccines into dental visits raised HPV vaccination rates from 5.3 percent to 13.9 percent among the patients it reached, according to research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus published in the journal Pediatrics in March 2025.
What exactly changed under Colorado's new dental rules?
The Colorado Dental Board adopted a first round of Dental Practice Act rules on April 30, 2026, and those rules took effect June 30, 2026. The centerpiece for families is Rule 1.33, a brand new rule titled "Administration of Immunizations," which authorizes dentists and dental hygienists to give flu, HPV and COVID-19 vaccines, along with other respiratory and oral health vaccines, to patients age 6 and up. The same rulemaking round also added Rule 1.7, "Permissible Ownership Practices," which says a dental support organization, commonly called a DSO, may no longer serve as the proprietor of a dental practice in Colorado. Dentists who keep working at a practice where a DSO holds that role can now face discipline from the board, according to the Colorado Dental Association.
What changed, rule by rule
| Rule | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 1.33, Administration of Immunizations (new) | Lets dentists and hygienists give flu, HPV and COVID vaccines to patients 6 and older | Effective June 30, 2026 |
| Rule 1.7, Permissible Ownership Practices | Bars a dental support organization from serving as the proprietor of a dental practice | Effective June 30, 2026 |
| Rule 1.26, Silver Diamine Fluoride by therapists and hygienists (proposed) | Would let dental therapists and hygienists apply the cavity-arresting liquid without a dentist present | Heard July 8, 2026, not yet final |
| Rule 1.36, Teledentistry (proposed) | Would set standards for remote dental visits and consultations | Heard July 8, 2026, not yet final |
Why did Colorado decide to let dental offices give vaccines?
The rule grew out of Senate Bill 25-194, the 2025 law that renewed and rewrote Colorado's Dental Practice Act, and it follows years of research into why children miss routine shots. At Denver Health, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Jack, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, worked with Denver Health dentist Scott Hamilton to test giving vaccines during dental appointments after COVID-19 pandemic disruptions pushed childhood immunization rates down. Their program, described in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus's coverage of the Pediatrics study, lifted HPV vaccination among the patients it served from 5.3 percent to 13.9 percent. "Shifting the lens to oropharyngeal cancer gets people to think about the bigger picture," Dr. Jack said of how dental visits can reframe conversations about HPV vaccine hesitancy, since HPV is a leading cause of oral and throat cancers that dentists are trained to screen for.
How old does a child have to be to get a vaccine at the dentist?
A patient must be at least 6 years old under Rule 1.33. That age floor means the new authority is aimed mostly at school-age children and teenagers, not toddlers or infants, and it lines up with a store of family practices that already see school-age kids for cleanings twice a year. Parents of younger children will still need to rely on a pediatrician or public health clinic for immunizations.
What training does a dentist need before giving a shot?
Under the new rule, a dentist working in private practice must complete 20 hours of immunization training before administering vaccines, while a dentist in an integrated public health setting needs 4 hours. Every licensee who gives vaccines must also complete 2 hours of continuing education on immunizations every two years to keep that authority current. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has also published a required "Dental Patient Vaccine Handout" that offices must give to every patient who gets a shot in the dental chair, a requirement written into the statute at CRS 12-220-305(1)(t)(II)(E), according to the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations.
What does the new ownership rule mean for family and pediatric practices?
Rule 1.7 is a separate but related piece of the same rulemaking package, and it lands as dental support organizations keep buying up family and pediatric practices nationwide. Smile Listing has covered the pace of that consolidation, and Colorado's rule is a direct response to concerns that outside investors, rather than licensed dentists, were effectively running some offices. Under the new language, a DSO can still handle administrative work like billing, scheduling and marketing, but it cannot hold the lease, own the equipment or otherwise act as the practice's proprietor, and it cannot interfere with a dentist's clinical judgment or a patient's access to their own records. Attorneys tracking the rule, including those at the law firm Dykema, note that Colorado's board continues to phase in related ownership restrictions, with additional pieces of the framework set to fully apply by January 1, 2027.
Will my child's dentist actually start offering vaccines?
Not necessarily, and not immediately. Rule 1.33 makes vaccination legal for a Colorado dental license holder who completes the required training, it does not require any practice to add vaccines to its services. Family and pediatric offices will need to stock vaccines, train staff and work out insurance billing before they can offer shots at the chair, so the rollout will likely be gradual and vary practice to practice. Parents who want this option should call ahead and ask, rather than assume it is available. A local pediatric practice, such as Kensington Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, is a good example of the kind of family-focused office that could eventually choose to add immunizations once the training and supply logistics are in place.
Is Colorado the first state to let dentists give vaccines?
No. Coverage of the Denver Health pilot from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus noted that Oregon, Minnesota and Illinois already permitted dentist-administered immunizations before Colorado's rule took effect, and Colorado had previously allowed dentists to give COVID-19 vaccines only under a temporary 2021 emergency order. Rule 1.33 makes that authority permanent and broadens it to include flu and HPV vaccines for patients 6 and older.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a pediatrician for my child's other vaccines?
Yes. Rule 1.33 covers only flu, HPV, COVID-19 and related respiratory and oral health vaccines for patients 6 and older. Routine childhood immunization schedules, and vaccines for children under 6, still need to come from a pediatrician or public health provider.
Does this rule force my dentist to give vaccines?
No. The rule permits a trained, licensed dentist or hygienist to administer these vaccines. It does not require any dental office to offer the service, so availability will vary by practice.
What is a dental support organization, and why does Rule 1.7 matter to families?
A dental support organization, or DSO, is a company that provides business and administrative services to dental practices, often after buying a stake in them. Rule 1.7 stops a DSO from acting as the actual proprietor of a Colorado dental practice, which is meant to keep clinical decisions in the hands of licensed dentists rather than outside investors.
When did these rules take effect?
The Colorado Dental Board adopted the first round of rules, including Rule 1.33 and Rule 1.7, on April 30, 2026, and they became effective June 30, 2026. A second rulemaking hearing on July 8, 2026 covered additional proposed rules that had not yet been finalized as of this writing.
Updated July 2026.
