Smiling in a Highly Demanded Occupation: Dental Therapy

Smiling in a Highly Demanded Occupation: Dental Therapy
Published
Written by
Learn about how a dental therapy program available at one community college could revolutionize the field - and your career options.
It has become a popular trend in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. It has even been embraced in the rural villages of Alaska. Now, dental therapy is coming to the continental United States, thanks to a pilot training program offered through the state of Minnesota.

Dental therapy is the wave of the future, offering patients additional access to dental treatment, using a more cost-effective solution to many common dental issues. Dental therapists operate as middlemen between dentists and dental hygienists, offering many of the services usually provided by dentists, but often at a fraction of the cost. The program was introduced in Minnesota to help reach the rural areas of the state where people cannot access dentists easily due to distant locations and unaffordable fees.
 
The English Example
 
Dental therapists are a mainstay in countries like Great Britain, where approximately 380 were on the General Dental Council Role in 2002, according to the National Health Service website. Since that time, dental therapists have been authorized to work in all areas of dentistry, including general dental practices. The therapist works directly with a registered dentist, providing the treatment that the dentist prescribes.
 
Dental therapists in England also have opportunities to move into other areas of the dental field, including research and teaching roles. A diploma course in dental therapy takes about 27 months to complete and includes a variety of topics, including preventative dentistry, extraction and some restorative procedures.
 
Bringing it Home
 
In Minnesota, current dental hygienists are heading back to school to earn their degree in dental therapy, according to a report in the North County Times. Although the current program is only available at a handful of institutions, the hope is that the trend will grow, encompassing more schools and more states that are in desperate need of affordable, quality dental care to low-income families and those living in rural areas.
 
An article on the Lund Report states that Oregon is also looking at instituting a dental therapy program, with those receiving an Associate's degree from a community college gaining employment at community clinics and county health departments.
 
While many dental hygienists are in favor of such a program, dentists are not so wild about the idea. Dr. Rick Asai, president of the Oregon Dental Association told Lund Report, "Will the program be able to deliver quality care at a reduced cost? That is a big question mark. The dental therapist's salary will be less than a dentist, but what they can deliver will also be less."
 
The Lund Report does note that dental therapy programs have traditionally gone forward without the initial approval of dentists in the area. Instead, they have been pushed through with legislation written by state politicians who recognize a need to provide more widespread dental care to the communities they serve. History shows that dental therapists can provide a valuable addition to the dental office when they are properly incorporated with the rest of the professional staff.
 
What Can Dental Therapists Do?
 
The Australian Dental Association states that dental therapists examine and treat diseases of the teeth in children under the supervision of a dentist. The National Health Service lists some of the following duties of dental therapists:
 
       ·         Oral assessments
 
       ·         Scaling and polishing
 
       ·         Providing dental education to patients
 
       ·         Taking x-rays

While these duties are typically performed by dental hygienists in this country, there are other jobs performed by dental therapists in England as well, including:
 
       ·         Performing routine restorations
 
       ·         Extracting teeth
 
       ·         Placing pre-formed crowns
 
       ·         Providing emergency replacement crowns
 
       ·         Treating patients under sedation with the direct supervision of a dentist

According to the article in the North County Times, dental therapists in Minnesota will be able to:
 
       ·         Drill cavities
 
       ·         Extract baby teeth
 
       ·         Remove stitches
 
       ·         Cap nerves

More complex procedures and diagnostics will still be left to the dentists in the offices where dental therapists work.
 
While many professional associations, including the American Dental Association, remain firm in their opposition to the incorporation of dental therapists into dental offices, non-profit clinics are excited about the prospect of broadening their services to a wider spectrum of patients. Dr. Michael Helgeson, who runs the non-profit Apple Tree Dental clinic network, told the North County Times that he is anxious to provide more affordable services to patients. Dr. Helgeson estimates that each dental therapist Apple Tree Dental hires will save the clinic about $50,000 per year, while maintaining the same level of service.
 
The country is currently watching Minnesota's pilot program for dental therapists to see whether this program will be the answer for improved dental service to rural and low-income areas. If the program is a success, expect to see more community college opportunities in associate's degrees for dental therapists in the not-so-distant future.

Additional Resources [+]
{"http://www.communitycollegereview.com/articles/247":{"comments":{"data":[]}}}

Previous Article

Get Hands-On with Physical Therapy Training
A career in physical therapy can be incredibly rewarding – and started right at your local community college. Learn more about the job roles, salary, and demand for physical therapy assistants.

Next Article

Addiction Counseling Degrees: Starting at Community College Addiction Counseling Degrees: Starting at Community College
Whether motivated through personal experience or compassion, addiction counseling can help save people's lives. Learn about how you can start your career in addiction counseling right from community college.

comments powered by Disqus

Recent Articles:

10 Ideas for Improving Community College Completion Rates
10 Ideas for Improving Community College Completion Rates
Published May 14, 2013
Community colleges do not traditionally boast high completion rates, but there are many ideas in the works at schools across the country to bring those rates up. We look at a few that are making headlines today.

New York College Gets Big Donation, New Name New York College Gets Big Donation, New Name
We report on a large donation given to New Community College in New York – possibly one of the biggest donations to ever be given to a two-year school. Now, the school is changing its name and using the money to improve completion rates and provide grants to eligible students.

Pima Community College Placed on Probation Pima Community College Placed on Probation
We explore the reasons behind the recent probation of Pima Community College, and what the Arizona school plans to do to bring their credentials back up to par once again.

  • More articles: Choosing a School, Financing, Career Training, Courses in College, Community College News
    • RSS/XML Feed RSS

    Career Training:

    Healthcare Careers

    Recession-proof and rewarding, healthcare careers can be started right from community college.

    Most Popular Articles:

    Note: Data has been gathered from the Dept. of Education, schools, and commercial data sources.