The recently released Institute of Medicine Report, Improving Oral Health Access for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations,* calls for “more research” to evaluate dental therapists even as it acknowledges the quality and acceptability of their care in Alaska and other countries. More research will not improve access. Quite the contrary, it is a delaying tactic adopted by organized dentistry that diminishes the relevance of the Report.  

By contrast, the W.W. Kellogg Foundation’s Statement of Support** for the Report ignores the recommendation for more research and unequivocally supports implementation now:

    Expanding the dental workforce can increase access to oral health, and help improve oral health, especially for those who currently go without much-needed care. In Alaska, 35,000 people are now receiving dental care as a result of adding dental therapists to a dentist-led team….

    Today, communities in Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Vermont and Washington are working to add dental therapists to the oral health workforce to extend the reach of the dental team to provide care in places where there aren't enough dentists to meet the need….

    In addition to the Alaska program, the first class of dental therapists in Minnesota is going into the field now, and Oregon recently passed legislation allowing for midlevel provider model demonstration projects. About a dozen other states also have expressed interest in pursuing this innovative model….

    According to federal estimates, the U.S. needs 9,933 new dentists to fill the current gap in care. The IOM report notes that under the Affordable Care Act, state insurance exchanges will be required to provide oral health coverage for children beginning in 2014, further straining the system. Clearly new providers must be added to the system.

*[(IOM) Institute of Medicine and (NRC) National Research Council. 2011. Improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. For Summary and to obtain free pdf download.

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13116&page=1]

**  See: http://www.wkkf.org/news/Articles/2011/07/Statement-of-Support-New-Institute-of-medicine.aspx

Jay W Friedman, Editor