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The Wall Street Journal

Many Americans lack proper access to dental care. Could creating more dental therapists—clinicians who have less training than dentists but can provide some routine dental care like exams and fillings—help?…

…“This is part of the regular dental team and some of the things a dentist can do can now be done more cost-effectively by a dental therapist,” says Jean Moore, an adviser to the Oral Health Workforce Research Center and director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies, an academic research center based at SUNY Albany’s School of Public Health.

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Dimensions of Dental Hygiene

Teledentistry gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its continued use has been thwarted by regulatory roadblocks. A new report from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at the University at Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies in Rensselaer, New York highlights these barriers in a state-by-state comparison.

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DrBicuspid

University of Albany researchers have identified barriers to the use of teledentistry. Their report was published on September 7 on the university’s Oral Health Workforce Research Center website.

Teledentistry offers an efficient way for dental professionals to triage, consult, diagnose, refer, follow up, and offer health education to patients. It also reduces the number of in-person visits.

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Deseret News

This week’s breaking health news includes a look at the large share of Americans who know personally someone who struggles with addiction and what they think can be done…

…Telemedicine has made big inroads for mental health consultations and general medicine —especially since COVID made in-person consultations harder and more risky. But what’s the role of telemedicine consultations online for dentistry?

The University of Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies in its School of Public Health found that the pandemic also prompted a “dramatic increase” in teledentistry. And the role online consultations play is not likely to diminish in the future, the researchers say.

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Times Union

ALBANY — During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many safety-net dental clinics turned to virtual technology, or teledentistry, to assist with triaging, consultations, diagnosis and referrals.

But while the health crisis propelled the use of telehealth into the mainstream, in most states, regulatory barriers have prevented dental providers from continuing the practice, according to a new report from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies.

“Early on in the pandemic, they were closing dental services because… there wasn’t enough PPE and it needed to go to the medical side and acute care,” Center for Health Workforce Studies Director Jean Moore said. “So there were a lot of things that really kind of forced everyone’s hand to kind of embrace this approach and I think… it has some pretty neat applications going forward.”

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Medical Xpress

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic increase in the use of teledentistry—a strategy that improved access to oral health services despite full or partial closures of dental practices.

A recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) in the School of Public Health explored the use of teledentistry by safety-net organizations, which include Federally Qualified Heath Centers (FQHCs), to bridge access to care during the pandemic.

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Dentistry

Teledentistry is an effective way to conduct appointments, according to a new study – but faces significant barriers in the post-pandemic world.

Carried out by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS), the study looked into the use of teledentistry as a strategy.

It was heavily used during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to improve access to oral health services despite full or partial closures of dental practices.

The study suggests teledentistry offers an effective way to conduct appointments involving triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up and health education. As a result, this reduces the number of in-person visits.

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Dentistry Today

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic increase in the use of teledentistry, a strategy that improved access to oral health services despite full or partial closure of dental practices. Teledentistry was successfully utilized for triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up, and health education, reducing the number of in-person visits.

A recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) explored the use of teledentistry by safety-net organizations which include Federally Qualified Heath Centers (FQHCs), to bridge access to care during the pandemic.

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WAMC North East Public Radio

On this week’s 51%, our Associate Producer, Jody Cowan, speaks with physician and author Dr. Gail Gazelle about how healthcare workers can use mindfulness to combat burnout – and steady their own life in the wake of a stressed healthcare system…We also hear from researchers at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies about how service-obligated programs can help providers bridge the healthcare worker shortage across New York state.

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WTEN

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Over eight million New Yorkers receive Medicaid benefits, but their dental coverage is limited. State lawmakers are looking to bridge the gap between providers and patients. In New York, Medicaid is required to provide dental benefits to children, but states choose what’s covered for adults…

…Dental therapists are mid level practitioners who have completed a dental therapy program; their education requirements vary by state. They provide dental evaluations, preventative and restorative care and minor surgeries. “So dental therapists primarily tend to work in underserved areas,” said Theekshana Fernando, research scientist at the Oral Health Research Center at UALBANY. He said in 2022, they conducted a study including dental therapists in every day practice.

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