Dental Therapists provide oral health care within their scope of practice in collaboration with supervising dentists. The Dental Therapist program in Alaska demonstrated this approach to be successful in bringing care to remote populations in that state. Fourteen states have now passed legislation to permit the practice of dental therapy. However, there are only three approved dental therapy training programs available to provide a sufficient dental therapy workforce in dental shortage areas. This seminar will present the current models of dental therapy education in dental schools, stand-alone dental therapy programs, and in conjunction with dental hygiene programs. The discussion will include how to establish new programs.
Learning Objectives:
Explain how dental therapists work in dental shortage areas, how they collaborate with dentists and findings on the quality of their care.
Describe different settings for dental therapy programs and the benefits of dental schools and/or existing allied health programs as settings for dental therapy programs.
Describe the opportunities for and barriers to establishing dental therapy educational programs.
