dental therapy

Published on

 Dental News

NEW YORK: A new bill introduced in New York’s state legislature aims to license dental therapists, a mid-level profession that supporters believe could expand dental care access, lower costs, and reduce waiting times. Dental therapists, often compared to physician assistants in medicine, are trained to perform routine dental procedures like fillings, extractions, and cleanings under the supervision of dentists.

Currently licensed in 14 U.S. states and over 50 countries, dental therapists could serve as a solution to the oral health access gap in New York, where two-thirds of residents live in high-need areas for dental care, according to a study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies. Proponents, such as Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, argue that the measure would address disparities in dental care access for underserved communities, particularly those without dental insurance or on Medicaid.

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Published on

Newsday

State legislation pending in Albany would license dental therapy in New York, a profession that supporters say would lower costs, expand access to dentistry, shorten waits and improve oral health…

…An estimated 68.5 million adults go without dental insurance, according to the 2023 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. In parts of New York, two-thirds of the population live in high needs areas for oral health, according to a study published in July by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health.

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The Wenatchee World

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community continues to advocate for legislation that would allow dental therapists to practice throughout the state.

Dental therapists are mid-level providers capable of performing about 50 of the approximately 500 procedures a dentist can provide, such as fillings and simple extractions…

…According to a 2017 study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies, rural, low-income and patients with limited English proficiency have less access to oral health care and poorer oral health outcomes…

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Published on

Dentistry Today

Dental therapy is a workforce model that introduces mid-level practitioners – dental therapists – to both preventive and restorative skills.

The introduction of dental therapists appears to improve access to and equity in dental service delivery in the US.

A recent study conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) assessed the satisfaction of clinical providers, organizational administrators, and patients with dental therapists working at Apple Tree Dental in Minnesota, the first US state to authorize dental therapy practice statewide. Apple Tree Dental was among the first employers of dental therapists, employing them since 2012…

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