Dental therapists (DTs) are primary dental care practitioners that have been deployed in many countries around the world. There is increasingly strong evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of DTs, including their ability to promote community-based services and enhance oral health equity. Following the approval of education standards by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)…
Dental therapists (DTs) are primary care dental providers, which are used globally, and were introduced in the United States in 2005. This webinar focuses on the dental therapy movement and examines the role of health equity in its adoption.Array, ArrayApril 18, 2021 138 minutes Array This webinar focuses on the dental therapy movement and examines…
Dental therapy is a workforce innovation that appears to improve access to and equity in dental service delivery in the US. This webinar discussed the origins and evolution of this workforce model, the process of authorizing and implementing dental therapy training and practice in states, and the impacts on patients and providers in Minnesota where…
Between February and July 2015 researchers at the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) completed case studies at 8 FQHCs headquartered or operating satellite clinics in 9 states. This report explores the barriers and facilitators to integration of oral health services with primary health care delivery in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) across the United…
Individuals living in long-term care (LTC) facilities or receiving in-home care (IHC), are significantly more likely to have poorer oral health status compared to individuals living independently. Despite this increased risk, provision of dental services in LTC settings is limited. As the Baby Boomer Generation ages into LTC, the number of individuals requiring dental care…
Despite initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, the underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos (H/L), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) among dentists persists. Improving workforce diversity promotes social justice and also increases access, health equity, and health care quality, particularly for minority populations. This article quantifies the shortage of underrepresented minority (URM) dentists and their…
Improving the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation’s dentists is critical in efforts to reduce disparities in access to care and health outcomes and to better address the oral health needs of an increasingly diverse US population. The Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, in particular, is disproportionately small compared with the rapidly growing and historically…
In the United States, blacks experience large disparities in both access to dental and oral health status. In addition, Black dentists are underrepresented within the overall dental workforce, and care for a disproportionate share of black patients. This article describes the black dentist workforce, the practice patterns of providers, and their contributions to dental health…
Improving the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation’s dentists is critical in efforts to reduce disparities in access to care and health outcomes and to better address the oral health needs of an increasingly diverse US population. The American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, in particular, is disproportionately small compared to the overall…
Untreated dental disease remains one of the most prevalent health conditions for children, driven in part by disparities in access to care. This article examines evidence-based workforce strategies being used to facilitate better access to pediatric health services and to improve oral health status and outcomes for children. The workforce strategies described in this article…
