The University of Saskatchewan’s new Bachelor of Science in Dental Therapy program has launched to aid patients living in rural and remote areas of the province. “Dental therapists are trained to perform restorative dental treatment such as fillings, extractions and other preventive services,” reported paNOW. The Prince Albert Campus Dental Clinic, which has been closed … Read more
Dental therapists are helping patients in rural communities have access to oral health care. However, they are still not supported in most of rural America, despite the limited access to dental care in those areas. Dental therapists are licensed to offer basic care such as fillings and simple tooth extractions. “Over a dozen states have … Read more
Oregon is about to get a new type of dentist. A bill to create “dental therapists” has passed Oregon’s House and Senate, and Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign it. “This is a great day for the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who can’t get access to basic dental care, because they can’t afford … Read more
Dental therapists working in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta region in southwestern Alaska are helping to prevent oral health disease and improve quality of life, according to a new study that examines the views of dental providers and native community members. The study, published in the Journal of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology on Aug. 29, was based on … Read more
It can be hard to keep smiles healthy in rural areas, where dentists are few and far between and residents often are poor and lack dental coverage. Efforts to remedy the problem have produced varying degrees of success. The biggest obstacle? Dentists. Dozens of countries, such as New Zealand, use “dental therapists” — a step … Read more
A coalition of more than 50 advocacy groups in Kansas has suggested educating dental therapists to work under the supervision of established dentists to help cover a service gap in the state. Four out of five counties in Kansas don’t have enough dentists to meet demand and 14 of the state’s counties have no dentistry … Read more
Lane Community College is in the vanguard of a movement to create a new kind of dental worker for Oregon inner cities, rural areas, migrant communities and tribal lands, where dental treatment is often scarce. The college recently received a $100,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to study the training and deploying of dental care … Read more