The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) has declared its support for Oral Health America (OHA)'s recommended roles for dental hygienists and dental therapists in expanding U.S. oral healthcare.
The recommendation comes from "A State of Decay," a national report on the oral health of older Americans, which highlights both the public health and the healthcare delivery factors affecting the oral health of older adults. Those factors are state oral health plans, edentulism, community water fluoridation, and dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
The ADHA supported OHA's recommendation to mitigate shortages of dental professionals by improving the primary healthcare workforce through the expansion of dental hygienists and dental therapists.
Minnesota, which ranked highest of all states surveyed in providing dental care access for older adults, is the first in the nation to approve the licensing of a midlevel oral healthcare provider, known in Minnesota as an advanced dental therapist (ADT), the ADHA noted. The ADT is dually licensed as a dental hygienist and an ADT, and performs duties such as filling cavities and extracting teeth.
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