The Need
We need a dental therapy training program in Colorado to fully realize the significant benefits of dental therapy.
Dental therapists receive rigorous training in a select set of the most commonly needed routine procedures, such as filling cavities, placing temporary crowns, and extracting badly diseased or loose teeth. Dentists hire and supervise dental therapists to expand quality care to more patients, grow their practices, and provide treatment in community settings, such as schools or nursing homes. Under the Commission on Dental Accreditation’s national dental therapy accreditation standards, students must receive at least three academic years of full-time instruction, including clinical experience.
Benefits Provided By Dental Therapists
For dental practices:
Dental therapists can optimize the performance of dental teams.
Studies in Minnesota have shown that introducing dental therapists to a practice increases overall cost effectiveness, and the introduction of dental therapists into the practice increased return on investment for dentists.
In Kansas, a typical solo private dental practice can earn an additional $125,000 by hiring a dental therapist.
A Massachusetts study showed that the dental clinics could add an additional 8 appointments per day (1,920/year) with the addition of a dental therapist.
For access to quality care:
A study on the impact of the introduction of dental therapists in Minnesota found an associated increase in dental visits overall and for low-income patients in particular.
In Alaska, research has shown that dental therapists are associated with more preventive care and fewer extractions.
The introduction of dental therapists has been shown to reduce patient travel times, patient wait times, and emergency room utilization.
As 50 of Colorado’s 64 counties are in dental health professional shortage areas, dental therapist can help address access to quality dental health care.