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…
There is greater general recognition of the linkages between physical disease and oral pathology. This has resulted in calls for medical professionals to incorporate oral health assessment, counseling, and early intervention into their routine clinical activities. However, actualization of the integration of oral health services in medical practice is difficult, due to the siloed structure…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Legal scope of practice (SOP) for dental hygienists differs by state. Research suggests that broader SOP laws at the state level can improve oral health outcomes. This infographic illustrates allowable tasks for dental hygienists by each state in the US, to help planners and policymakers understand the differences in legal scope of practice across states,…
The volume and variety of mobile and portable oral health programs in the United States has increased in recent years. Increasingly capable portable imaging technologies and treatment modalities have evolved to enable oral health professionals to provide a range of oral health services in public facilities and other community settings with portable equipment or in…
