Dental Campaign

On Monday, June 20, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D) signed Senate Bill 20 into law, authorizing the practice of dental therapy. After a five-year campaign by the Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition, Vermont became the third state, joining Maine and Minnesota, to allow dentists to hire these midlevel providers. Dental therapists also work with dentists caring for Native American tribes in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.

Another type of provider is helping dentists in private practice and public health settings address the gaps in access to dental health care that many Americans face.

At its Aug. 7 meeting, the Commission on Dental Accreditation—the accrediting body for academic dental programs—finalized educational standards for dental therapy training. Dental therapists are midlevel providers—similar to physician assistants—who provide preventive and routine restorative care, such as filling cavities.

Building on an earlier report that examined how two private practices used dental therapists, Expanding the Dental Team: Increasing Access to Care in Public Settings looks at three examples of midlevel dental providers working to expand care to underserved populations in nonprofit, public settings.