Pierce introduces North Carolina bill requiring in-person exams before orthodontic devices are sold

State Rep. Garland E. Pierce has proposed a new bill in the North Carolina House intended to bolster oversight and protections for patients regarding orthodontic device sales, according to the North Carolina State House.

Filed as HB 1205 on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, the bill carries the official short title: ‘Orthodontic Treatment In-Person Exam Req.’

Here is our summary, based on the bill text, including interpretive details to clarify its requirements.

The legislation would require patients to receive an in-person intraoral, head, and neck examination along with a review of recent dental images by a licensed dentist before they may purchase or be fitted for any orthodontic device. It prohibits device sales that do not meet these requirements, stipulates a dentist-issued prescription and documented counseling about treatment alternatives and risks, and requires patients to sign an acknowledgement to be kept for at least seven years. Dentists cannot require use of a particular device to conduct exams, and must provide patient records if requested by another licensed dentist. The bill empowers the State Board of Dental Examiners to adopt necessary rules and allocates $50,000 in 2026-27 to fund public education. Funding is effective July 1, 2026; the new treatment standards take effect Oct. 1, 2026.

During the 2025 regular session, Pierce has introduced 20 other bills.

Legislation in North Carolina moves through a multi-step legislative process. A bill is first filed by a legislator and then assigned to a committee for examination. Each chamber must read the bill three times. If amendments are made after one chamber passes it, both must consent to a final version. Once both chambers agree, the bill is sent to the governor, who may sign, veto, or allow it to become law without signing within 10 days (or 30 days if the legislature is out of session).

For additional details on bills and legislative actions, see here.

Pierce is a graduate of Fayetteville State University, where he earned a BS.

First elected in 2005, Pierce, a Democrat, represents North Carolina’s 48th House district and succeeded Donald Bonner as state representative.