Expanding Access to Dental Care by Adding Dental Therapists to Your Care Team: What You Need to Know

Almost 70 million people reside in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). As health centers work to achieve optimal health for all, access to dental care is essential. Having a fully-staffed dental care team is foundational to expanding access to dental care. Adding dental therapists to your health center’s dental care team has been compared to adding nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives to your primary care team; with everyone able to work at the top of their training and licensure. Session participants will learn how to improve access to dental care, by including dental therapists on the dental care team, from experts in dental therapy advocacy, policy, and day-to-day operations.