Dental therapist growth update: 6 states

[RedPill1785]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...l-therapists-oral-health-disparities/7422773/

New states with dental therapists or considering DTs: Minnesota, New Mexico, Kansas, Vermont, Maine, Alaska - and also North Dakota(not mentioned in the USAToday article)

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[hellopeople]

The last thing I read included many more than 6 states considering dental therapists. Is this just including states who have pro-therapist bills actively being promoted?

Anyway, the three states that allow dental therapists are Maine, Alaska, and Minnesota for anyone interested. I think Maine is making them work under the direct supervision of a dentist though - probably because of reduced educational requirements compared to Minnesota. Apparently they will be trained in a two-year community college environment before entering private practice (where they then do what amounts to 2000 hours of apprenticeship while practicing in order to be fully licensed).

On the one hand, they will be more limited in autonomy. One the other, this model would probably allow for much faster proliferation.

Seriously though: Does anyone know if those other 4 states have bills under active consideration by their respective state legislative branches?

 

[dlilb]

Most of the dental therapist bills are on ASDA Engage. I'm not sure if all of those states currently have bills drafted, but most have something on Engage.

ASDA also has info on dental therapists and other midlevel provider models.

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

Thank you for posting this article! I'm from a very isolated small town in rural Idaho and I definitely know what it is like to have inadequate access to dental providers. I think that dental therapy is actually a wonderful idea to provide dental care to rural, isolated places like where I grew up. I plan to open a clinic in Maine and maybe I will hire a dental therapist to help with the work load.

 

[Apollonia]

I asked my dentist about this topic, I live in one of the states where the bill passed but has not been signed by the governor. He says he's not really worried about DT's. He says there's not much money to be made from Medicaid (the population that these therapists would be mostly serving) and that business is slowish for dentists at the moment (his words) so he's not sure who will be hiring them. Currently, there are two training programs in place nationally, so there are not that many DT's out there, yet. The effects, if any, will take a long time. He says he would be more worried about me once I graduate DS and start practicing in the area. Personally, I don't see the need for them.

 

[NorthernMEd]

Thank you for posting this article! I'm from a very isolated small town in rural Idaho and I definitely know what it is like to have inadequate access to dental providers. I think that dental therapy is actually a wonderful idea to provide dental care to rural, isolated places like where I grew up. I plan to open a clinic in Maine and maybe I will hire a dental therapist to help with the work load.

Just wondering why you think you will open a practice in Maine and not a rural place out west that needs dentists like in Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas?

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

Just wondering why you think you will open a practice in Maine and not a rural place out west that needs dentists like in Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas?

Maybe because I want to live in a nice state by the beach, is that a crime? Besides, my husband would kill me if I even suggested we live in North or South Dakota. I don't want to live in Idaho again because it is such a Republican, sexist state (believe me, I grew up there, I would know).

 

[NorthernMEd]

Maybe because I want to live in a nice state by the beach, is that a crime? Besides, my husband would kill me if I even suggested we live in North or South Dakota. I don't want to live in Idaho again because it is such a Republican, sexist state (believe me, I grew up there, I would know).

Guess I should move to Idaho then. I don't want to live in Maine if there's a bunch of ignorant people moving there. We get enough liberals from Massachusetts bringing our state down. There's a reason Maine needs help from the dental therapists and it's not because the state is largely rural, it's because everyone wants to be on welfare and no one actually works to make money to get dental care they need (believe me, I grew up there, I would know).

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

Guess I should move to Idaho then. I don't want to live in Maine if there's a bunch of ignorant people moving there. We get enough liberals from Massachusetts bringing our state down. There's a reason Maine needs help from the dental therapists and it's not because the state is largely rural, it's because everyone wants to be on welfare and no one actually works to make money to get dental care they need (believe me, I grew up there, I would know).

Go ahead, be my guest, they don't like outsiders moving into their state either.