This report summarizes trends in the direct provision of oral health services by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) over recent years and factors that predict the likelihood of an FQHC providing direct general and/or specialty oral health services. The analyses use both current and historical data to describe existing oral health service capacity in FQHCs…
Reforms to address the oral health care needs of vulnerable populations in long-term care (LTC) settings should start with defining a clearer standard of oral care required for this population. This will allow best practices in policy, practice, and accountability to be structured around care that improves patients’ oral health. This article identifies and classifies…
Incorporating the consumer perspective on access to oral health services is important in the design of public policy and programming to improve the oral health status of the population. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) collaborated with the Workforce Studies team at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to conduct a survey of…
There is growing recognition of the relationship between mental illness and behavioral health disorders with oral and physical health status. Safety net provider organizations are key to providing integrated care for many of their patients with mental health or substance use disorders. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center conducted 6 case studies of Federally Qualified…
The Health Resources and Service Administration’s (HRSA) mission is “To improve health outcomes and address health disparities through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs.” To support this mission, HRSA supports primary care postgraduate dental (PGD) training programs through competitive grant funding. A recent research study conducted by the Oral…
Prior research has confirmed increasing gender diversity in dental education programs and dental workforce. While there is discussion that the increasing gender diversity in dentistry will affect practice models, work hours, and the availability of specialty dentists or dentists in less populated areas, there is limited research that describes variation in characteristics of dental practice…
Legislators in each state construct policies to define legal scope of practice (SOP) for dental hygienists in their state. These policies create variation in the tasks Dental Hygienists (DH) in different states are legally allowed to perform, which ultimately impacts access to oral healthcare services. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center developed an infographic that…
Oral health providers across the country that work in the safety net have used a variety of innovative strategies to expand access to oral health services in community-based settings, including federally qualified health centers, schools and nursing homes, among others. This compendium summarizes best practices in innovative oral health service delivery programs drawn from over…
The scope of practice for dental hygienists has rapidly expanded and evolved over the past decade. These changes have brought about new career growth opportunities for providers and have improved access to care for patients. This article explores some of the most important changes in scope of practice for dental hygienists and how these changes…
The Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) completed a study to evaluate the attitudes and willingness of general and specialty dentists to treat people with special needs and to identify the barriers to greater participation by dentists in the care of these patients. The research project was a collaboration with the Health Policy Institute at…
