What is Dental Therapy and why is the American Dental Association pushing against it?

Dental Therapy could be one solution for improving oral care in underserved rural communities. What new momentum is there for dental therapy, and why is the American Dental Association pushing back?

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Dental therapists are popping up around the country as a potentially cost-effective way to deliver oral care to underserved communities. The American Dental Association is pushing back. Our colleagues over at The Indicator, Wailin Wong and Adrian Ma, explain.

WAILIN WONG, BYLINE: A dental therapist is someone who is trained to do basic exams and cleanings as well as some procedures that are usually reserved for dentists, like filling cavities and pulling teeth.

ADRIAN MA, BYLINE: Beth Mertz is a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and she researches the health workforce with a focus on dentistry.

BETH MERTZ: They can do a lot of primary care or, you know, do all the basic health care that you need, but they’re not a physician.

WONG: In the U.S., a typical dental therapy program takes three academic years.

MA: The first state to introduce dental therapists was Alaska in 2005. Health officials identified a need for basic dental care in tribal communities, especially ones located in rural areas. Today, Alaska has its own three-year dental therapy program through Ilisagvik College, the state’s lone tribal college, and most of the graduates are of American Indian or Alaska Native background.

Source: What is Dental Therapy and why is the American Dental Association pushing against it? / npr.org

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