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 include promising new models in the dental field, with new and existing providers as well as emerging workforce models outside of the dental field. Case studies for some of these workforce strategies are also presented.

This article updates and synthesizes the evidence on clinical pediatric workforce models and discusses future directions and implications for health policy.