By
Raquel Tejada, CRDH, BASDH, Med
Director of Dental Hygiene Providers
Central Florida Healthcare, Inc.
As a dental hygienist with over 20 years of experience in both private and public practices in Florida, I have seen firsthand the severe physical and emotional impacts that are caused by the lack of access to basic dental care.
I have witnessed children with teeth decayed down to the gumline. Mothers who suffer from advanced periodontal disease who unknowingly pass bacteria to their children. Fathers paralyzed by fear and trauma, terrified to sit in a dental chair, with multiple dental and medical needs stemming from not being seen for preventive dental care.
The need for expanding dental access in Florida is enormous. Florida is the worst state in the nation for number of individuals living without access to basic dental care. Nearly six million Floridians live in dental health professional shortage areas, which have too few dental providers to meet the need.
1,256 dentists are needed right now just to remove the existing shortages in 66 of Florida’s 67 counties.
Floridians living in rural counties often face the greatest difficulty seeking care. About two-thirds of Florida’s rural counties have 10 or fewer dentists. Glades county has no licensed dentists and others like Dixie and Lafayette have none or very few providers.
Fewer dentists means long travel distances, limited appointment availability, and greater reliance on emergency departments for treatable dental issues.
Dental therapy is an evidence-based solution to expand access to dental care. It is not the only solution that is needed, but it is key part of the solution. Over 50 countries have utilized dental therapists as valued members of their dental teams for 100 years. Dental therapists have practiced safely and effectively in the United States for roughly 20 years.
A dental therapist is a rigorously educated, clinically trained mid-level provider who delivers essential, basic dental procedures. Dental therapists enroll in Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited dental therapy programs and, after graduation, are required to pass the same state licensing examination as dental students for the specific procedures they will perform. The dental therapist must also pass the Florida Laws and Rules exam and be regulated by the Florida Board of Dentistry. All treatment would be performed under the general supervision of a licensed dentist, who authorizes the care in accordance with the scope of practice.
For hygienists like me, who would like to become a dental therapist, it would mean holding dual licensure, allowing us to work to the full extent of both scopes under a supervising dentist.
Importantly, dental therapy legislation would not mandate dentists to employ a dental therapist, it simply would provide the option for them to do so. For dental professionals working in Federally Qualified Health Centers and in communities with limited access to care, having the option to hire dental therapists would be transformative for the people we serve.
The goal is not to replace our highly educated dentists, but to extend their reach. It is often cost prohibitive for dentists to provide dental care in these types of community-based settings such as in schools, daycares, WIC offices, and community health centers. Because dental therapists have lower salaries than dentists, it allows dental practices to meet patients where they are— delivering timely and appropriate care that prevents unnecessary pain and suffering.