Dental therapy is a workforce innovation that appears to improve access to and equity in dental service delivery in the US. This webinar discussed the origins and evolution of this workforce model, the process of authorizing and implementing dental therapy training and practice in states, and the impacts on patients and providers in Minnesota where…
The 2023 Symposium featured experts from 9 federally-funded health workforce research centers discussing the most pressing issues facing the health workforce today. Recorded live on October 11, 2023 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. SESSION 1: Health Career Pathways – What’s Working? This session describes several very different health career paths—some that are…
While Medicaid dental coverage for children is relatively consistent across the 50 states, dental benefits for Medicaid-enrolled adults vary significantly from state to state. As a result of the recent economic recession, many states have moved to limit Medicaid expenditures for dental care. As of 2012, 22 states, including Oklahoma, either offer no adult dental…
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…
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…
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,…
