Dental News - Alaska study supports employment of dental therapists

Daniel Zimmermann, DTI

Mon. 8 November 2010

save

Dental therapists can offer appropriate dental health care for underserved populations, a US study has confirmed. The two-year evaluation of a dental therapists programme in Alaska claims to support the fact that therapists can perform basic procedures, like sealant placement and filling preparations, which can help overcome significant shortages of dental professionals in rural areas.

Dental therapists are currently used to perform dentist tasks in many countries inluding Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Besides Montana, Alaska has been the first US state to allow therapists to provide higher dental care. Therapists there have been performing basic surgical procedures under the supervision of dentists in remote Native villages since 2005.

According to government statistics, Alaska has enough dentists but fails to provide appropiate dental care to its widely scattered Native population.

National and local dental associations in the US have criticised the study for being too concise. A speaker of the American Dental Association said that it does not incorporate enough therapists to provide data that would justify applying the model in other states. The organisation, which represents all dentists in the United States, has rejected the idea to let non-dentists perform surgical procedures for years.

To post a reply please login or register

Hygienists group supports Dental Reform Act of 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA: The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has issued a news release commending Sen. Bernard Sanders, chairman of the ...

Massachusetts hopes to enlist dental therapists in fight for oral healthcare equity

BOSTON, US: More than 300,000 Massachusetts residents lack access to oral care, and state legislators hope that licensing more dental therapists could ...

Appeal against deportation of dental assistant spawns support

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., USA: The planned deportation of a Filipino dental assistant from California could bring new life to the U.S. immigration debate. The ...

AAE leadership supports dental advocacy

CHICAGO, IL, USA: For the fourth year in a row, the American Association of Endodontists Board of Directors became Capital Club members of the American ...

ADHA supports FTC’s input on dental therapy education

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has issued a statement of support of the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...

Andrew Smith is named executive director of Association of Dental Support Organizations

The Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) announced that its board of directors has selected Andrew Smith as the next executive director of the...

DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties supports free dental clinic

TULSA, Okla., USA: DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialties sponsored the sixth annual Oklahoma Mission of Mercy dental clinic, which was held Feb. 6 and 7 in ...

Study points to lack of formal education on cannabis in dentistry

BUFFALO, N.Y., US: As the field of medicine continues to evolve, the American Dental Association (ADA) has recognised the importance of integrating ...

National Dental Association supports emerging workforce models

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: The National Dental Association, representing more than 7,000 dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants, recently issued a ...

Dental Divas Online supports women dentists nationwide

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Dental Divas, a professional organization designed to support the needs of women dentists, has announced the official launch of Dental ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 29 April 2024
12:30 PM EST (New York)