Training New Dental Professionals Shows Promise for Expanding Access of Care
December 17, 2009
Training New Dental Professionals Shows Promise for Expanding Access of Care

Training new midlevel dental providers in the U.S. could significantly increase the access of basic dental care for underserved populations, according to a report released yesterday by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  Currently, 48 million children and families in the U.S. live in areas without enough dentists to provide routine oral care.  Even if there are dentists nearby, Americans report going without services because of cost, which results in pain, missed days at school or work, and sometimes life-threatening medical emergencies that stem from dental infections. “Training and placing new dental therapists under the general supervision of a dentist in underserved areas could help ensure that more families, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can access quality, affordable dental care. The dental therapy model can help us address this glaring gap and increase racial equity in dental care,” said Sterling K. Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  Dental therapists were independently established under federal authority in Alaskan Native areas in 2003 and under state authority in Minnesota in 2009. These new primary care dental providers deliver services that were previously delivered in the U.S. only by dentists.   The report makes recommendations for criteria for developing dental therapist and hygienist-therapist training programs based on a review of international and initial U.S. programs, which include: In advanced dental delivery systems that utilize dental therapists, length of training is two years for dental therapy alone and three years for combined dental therapy and dental hygiene; trainees are recruited from the general population, with preference for those from underserved populations or committed to care of the underserved; therapists are deployed to areas or populations of greatest need; and training experiences focus on attainment of clinical competency over didactic knowledge and often engage trainees in community-based experiences. To read the report, Training New Dental Health Providers in the U.S., please visit http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx


See also:

CHHCS: School-Based Dental Health

CHHCS Educators & Families Page: Dental/Oral Health