improving health, creating jobs, promoting equity
Dental therapists educate patients about oral health, perform evaluations, give fluoride treatments, place sealants, clean teeth, place fillings, and perform simple extractions. They’ve been working in the United States since 2005. Learn more.
A 2017 University of Washington study found that greater access to dental therapy resulted in fewer extractions among both adults and children.
DENTAL THERAPISTS EXPAND ACCESS
Dental therapists will expand dental care access where it is most out of reach, providing quality and timely care to rural communities, low-income communities and communities of color, and to patients who are publicly insured or uninsured.
A 2017 University of Washington Center for Workforce study examined access to oral health care. Dentists, family physicians, pediatricians, and other stakeholders named dental therapy as a solution.
DENTAL THERAPISTS STRENGTHEN THE DENTAL TEAM.
Dental therapy gives dentists and oral health clinics an opportunity to expand their business. Adding just one dental therapist means a dental practice can take 2,000 to 3,000 more appointments a year. For every dollar they generate, a dental therapist costs less than 30 cents to employ.
A 2013 American Dental Association study recognized that dental therapists provide high-quality service.
Dental therapists could save hospitals money by providing high-quality, routine care.
In a single 18-month period, dental problems prompted 54,000 visits to Washington’s emergency rooms, costing $35 million. Dental therapists will prevent costly emergency room visits.
A 2010 Washington State Hospital Association report found that dental emergencies are likely to be the result of not having regular dental care.
DENTAL THERAPISTS ARE ALREADY PRACTICING IN WASHINGTON.
Dental therapists are already practicing in Washington state, thanks to state lawmakers and Tribal leaders. State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 5079 in 2017 to create a path toward better access to health care in Tribal settings throughout the state. Dental therapists now work for the Colville Tribes, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Lummi Nation, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
NATIONAL MOMENTUM IS BUILDING!
Dental therapists are currently working in Tribal communities in Washington. They are also authorized in some or all settings in Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, and Vermont, as well as through pilot programs in Oregon. More than a dozen other states and Tribal governments are in the process of exploring authorization of dental therapists. It’s time for dental therapists statewide in Washington!