Dental services in the US have been traditionally provided in private dental practices operating as small businesses. Organizational structures for oral health service delivery and for managing business functions are changing, resulting in a variety of options for patients selecting providers. Perhaps the most noticeable change in the dental practice paradigm is the consolidation of…
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…
Improving the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation’s dentists is critical in efforts to reduce disparities in access to care and health outcomes and to better address the oral health needs of an increasingly diverse US population. The Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, in particular, is disproportionately small compared with the rapidly growing and historically…
In the United States, blacks experience large disparities in both access to dental and oral health status. In addition, Black dentists are underrepresented within the overall dental workforce, and care for a disproportionate share of black patients. This article describes the black dentist workforce, the practice patterns of providers, and their contributions to dental health…
Improving the racial and ethnic diversity of the nation’s dentists is critical in efforts to reduce disparities in access to care and health outcomes and to better address the oral health needs of an increasingly diverse US population. The American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, in particular, is disproportionately small compared to the overall…
Despite initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, the underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos (H/L), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) among dentists persists. Improving workforce diversity promotes social justice and also increases access, health equity, and health care quality, particularly for minority populations. This article quantifies the shortage of underrepresented minority (URM) dentists and their…
Dental hygienists are valued members of the oral health team, providing preventative and prophylactic services while also educating patients in oral health care. However, state policies concerning the scope of practice (SOP) for dental hygienists create limitations on the tasks that they are legally allowed to perform, which ultimately impacts access to needed oral health…
Demand for dental residency and dental student externship opportunities has grown in recent years, driven by the economy for dental employment and the desire of students for increased market competitiveness. In addition to specialty residencies, some states now also require that general dentists complete a year of advanced education in general dentistry before licensure. The…
The Oral Health Workforce Research Center conducted a comparative analysis of Medicaid dental claims over a 2-year period in New York and Oklahoma. Oklahoma Medicaid provides only a limited dental benefit for adult enrollees 21 years of age and older, including emergency exams and extractions of diseased teeth. In contrast, adult Medicaid beneficiaries in New…
Concerns about limited access to oral health services for underserved populations are prompting providers to adopt innovative service delivery models to meet the needs of those with access barriers. The use of teledentistry as a means to improve access to oral health services in areas with inadequate availability of general and specialty dental care is…
