On October 2, 2018, policy leaders and workforce researchers gathered to discuss key issues influencing the health workforce. Researchers from 6 health workforce research centers presented work related to value-based care, workforce development programs targeting the underserved, and health workforce roles in opioid misuse prevention and treatment. This video highlights the work presented at the…
The Oral Health Workforce Research Center studies dental hygienist (DH) scope of practice and finds great variability in what DHs in different states are allowed to do. Researchers at the Center built a scope of practice scale for DHs, the Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) and used it to score state-specific DH scope of…
This webinar provides an introductory overview of the oral health workforce in America and highlight key themes emerging from the OHWRC’s work, including: strategies that facilitate oral health integration with primary care, particularly among safety net providers in clinics as well as community based settings; oral health service innovation, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary team…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
