The following resolution was passed unanimously at the 2005 APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The full text with references is available at http://www.apha-oh.org/ak_res.htm:

Recognizing that oral health is an integral part of overall health and well-being ; and
Recognizing that the American Public Health Association views access to preventive and therapeutic oral health services as vitally important for all Americans; and
Recognizing that APHA desires to foster effective broad-based policies and programs to help alleviate oral diseases; and
Recognizing that many populations, such as the Alaska Native population, living in remote and isolated villages, have overwhelming unmet oral health needs; and
Recognizing that children and adolescents of Alaska Natives have dental caries rates that are 2.5-5.0 times the rate of children in the U.S. general population; and
Recognizing that 60 percent of Alaska Native children under age 5 suffer from severe early childhood caries; and
Recognizing that dentists serving in rural Alaska remark that it is not uncommon for Alaska Native adults to be completely edentulous by the age of 20 years ; and
Recognizing that there is an overwhelming unmet dental need of Alaska Natives that has been longstanding and requires prompt action to prevent further unnecessary pain and suffering ; and
Recognizing that the Alaska Natives Tribal Health Consortium in compliance with federal law has developed the Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) program as part of a comprehensive initiative to respond to these overwhelming dental needs in an established and effective way, which ensures program continuity and year-round services in isolated, underserved communities; and
Recognizing that the DHAT program is an expansion of the successful Community Health Aide Program initiated about 37 years ago that provides overall primary health care to Alaska Natives using community health aides; and
Recognizing that DHATs are trained and educated in a certified program with professional supervision to perform primary prevention services as well as routine fillings and extractions which organized dentistry has referred to as "irreversible procedures"; and the Alaska Attorney General has ruled that dental therapists may perform these procedures.
Recognizing that DHATs have been used successfully in New Zealand for over 84 years as well as in 42 other countries; and
Recognizing that in Saskatchewan, Canada, where DHATs have been employed for over 30 years, there have been no incidents of malpractice or any complaints reported to the Regional Disciplinary Board; and
Recognizing that recently organized dentistry has vigorously opposed the Alaska DHAT program; and
Recognizing that the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska Public Health Association have passed resolutions in support of Dental Health Aides and Therapists; and
Recognizing that the APHA Governing Council has supported the use of expanded duties for dental care at least three times since 1966;

Therefore the American Public Health Association:

(1)     Actively supports the Dental Health Aide Therapist Program and other innovative programs and practices to help prevent and alleviate the great unmet oral health needs of Alaska Natives and supports innovative programs for other underserved populations;

(2)     Resolves to strongly support innovative programs aimed at improving access to preventive and therapeutic oral health services for underserved populations.

(3)     Supports efforts to inform, as needed, national and state health, public health and dental organizations and agencies, and the general public, of APHA's support of such programs;

(4)     Encourages the Governor of Alaska and other administrative and legislative leaders in Alaska to recognize and support the Dental Health Aide Therapists Program as a legitimate, practical and responsible program to help meet the needs of Alaska Natives;

(5)     Urges key members of the U.S. Senate and House, the Administration and other interested parties to support the Dental Health Aide Therapist program, including but not limited to the following:
·     Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,
·     U.S. Senators and Representatives of Alaska,
·     Secretary of Health and Human Services,
·     U.S. Surgeon General,
·     Director, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA),
·     Director, Indian Health Service,
·     Alaska State Board of Dental Examiners,
·     Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and
·     any other key decision makers, organizations and agencies that should be so notified as needed.