Dental therapy practice patterns in Minnesota: a baseline study

Abstract

Dental therapists are treating a high number of uninsured and underinsured patients, suggesting that they are expanding access to dental care in rural and metropolitan areas of Minnesota. Dentists appear to have an adequate workload for dental therapists and are delegating a full range of procedures within their scope of practice. Dentists performed fewer restorative and preventive procedures after a DT was hired.

Maryland dentists' perceptions and attitudes toward dental therapy

“…The Alaska and Minnesota experience demonstrate that dental therapists are assuming an analogous role in the dental profession. [21][22][23][24][25] Dental therapists in those states see patients, in and out of a dentist's presence, in private practice settings, as well as school-based health centers, community clinics, senior centers, and mobile clinics. As more states authorize licensure and the dental therapy model evolves, we predict that dentists will come to see these mid-level providers as an essential part of the oral health care delivery team.…”

Access to oral healthcare for vulnerable and underserved populations

“… FDI encourages governments in collaboration with National Dental Associations (NDAs) to investigate methods of financing, service delivery and regulations that might lead to improvements in dental coverage and access to oral healthcare among underserved and vulnerable populations. FDI encourages oral health advocates and policy makers to adopt evidence‐based strategies and interventions to address barriers to utilize dental care among underserved and vulnerable populations such as oral health illiteracy, lack of awareness about the connection between oral and general health and other factors that may influence utilization of dental care. FDI encourages accrediting bodies for undergraduate and graduate‐level non‐dental healthcare professional education programmes to integrate oral health competencies into their requirements for accreditation. FDI encourages countries to amend existing laws about the use of allied dental health personnel in accordance with the FDI’s policy statement on “Supervision of Allied Dental Personnel” to: increase the valuable participation of the allied dental personnel under evidence‐supported supervision levels; ensure that allied dental professionals have the appropriate competence, qualifications, training and skills to perform the tasks delegated to them by the supervising dentist; ensure the safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of different oral health delivery models are supported by evidence from sound research; allow technology‐supported remote collaboration and supervision (tele‐ dentistry). The FDI encourages dental professional education programmes to increase recruitment and support for enrollment of students from underserved, vulnerable, disadvantaged and under‐represented populations. FDI encourages dental schools and training programmes to support and expand opportunities for dental postgraduate residency rotations in community‐based settings in underserved areas. FDI encourages dental schools to provide special training for students on addressing the complex oral health conditions of underserved and vulnerable population by giving them the opportunities to participate in relevant community‐based education and to work with interdisciplinary teams in underserved areas. FDI encourages governmental, private sectors and grassroot community organizations, in collaboration with the NDAs, to allocate funding to implement projects that provide essential preventive and therapeutic health services and oral health promotion interventions for underserved and vulnerable populations. FDI encourages governments, private foundations and NDAs to increase funding for oral health research and evaluation related to underserved and vulnerable populations, including: new methods and technologies (e.g., nontraditional settings, nondental professionals, and telehealth); measures of access, quality, and outcomes; payment and regulatory systems. FDI encourages governments to enhance financial incentives to attract and retain more oral healthcare professionals to deliver essential oral health services to underserved and vulnerable populations. FDI encourages national and international alliances to address the oral health of underserved and vulnerable populations, taking into consideration the social determinants of heal...…”

Introducing and Evaluating Intraprofessional Team‐Based Care Delivery in a Dental School Clinic: A Pilot Study

“…Dental therapists have practiced in Minnesota since 2011 and can perform a full range of basic restorative procedures, freeing a dentist to take on more complex dental procedures (Table 1). Early evidence indicates dental therapists in Minnesota are expanding access to dental care in underserved areas and increasing practice productivity 15 , 16…”