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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Dental workforce

Dental Utilization for Communities Served by Dental Therapists in Alaska's Yukon Kuskokwim Delta: Findings from an Observational Quantitative Study
Presents results from a program evaluation designed to assess the impact of dental therapists on dental utilization and oral health outcomes in the Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska. Examines utilization and outcomes based on total dental therapist treatment days, presents results for both child and adult populations, and focuses on three primary measures: preventive dental care use, extraction of teeth, and dental care under general anesthesia.
Author(s): Donald L. Chi, Dane Lenaker, Lloyd Mancl, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Washington
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Access to Dental Care Remains a Challenge for Millions of Michiganders
Report reevaluates a study on oral healthcare access in Michigan. Breaks down key takeaways from the study, such as rates of Medicaid enrolled dentists, access for low-income populations, and dentist distribution.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Community Health Workers Get Trained to Reduce Oral Health Disparities
Highlights programs serving the Navajo Nation, Texas colonias, and Appalachian Maryland that use community health workers to provide oral health education and improve access dental care.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Dental Therapy Toolkit: A Resource for Potential Employers
Toolkit designed to provide prospective employers of dental therapists a history and understanding of the field and offer information on how to integrate dental therapists into their practices in the state of Minnesota. Includes regulations and scope of practice details, education and training requirements, and examples of successful dental therapy models, among other topics.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Health Reform Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, Minnesota Department of Human Services
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Dentists in New Mexico by County
A fact sheet displaying in map and in table format the number of dentists in the state of New Mexico by county.
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Neglected for Too Long: Dental Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Policy brief describing scarcity of dental care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, due to a shortage of properly trained dental care providers and exceptionally long distances many patients must travel to receive adequate care.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Utah's Dentist Workforce, 2017: A Study on the Supply and Distribution of Dentists in Utah
Analyzes the dental workforce in Utah to assess supply and demand in urban and rural areas. Includes statistics, such as licensed dentists practicing status and demographic characteristics of dentists and patients. Covers dental practice characteristics, such as specialty, practice setting, geographic distribution, practice hours, and accessibility.
Author(s): Jenna Christensen
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organization: Utah Health Workforce Information Center
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Impact of a Community Dental Access Program on Emergency Dental Admissions in Rural Maryland
Describes the expansion of a rural Maryland community dental access program (CDP) that serves uninsured and underinsured low-income residents following a funding increase from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in 2012. Tracks claims data between 2011–2015, comparing CDP claim rates to Medicaid-funded visits to local emergency departments for non-traumatic dental needs, estimating cost savings from the expanded CDP.
Author(s): Sandi Rowland, Jonathan P. Leider, Clare Davidson, Joanne Brady, Alana Knudson
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 106(12), 2165-2170
Date: 12/2016
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States Expand the Use of Dental Therapy: Access to Care Increases When Dentists Are Authorized to Hire Midlevel Providers
Presents a state-by-state guide to dental therapist legislation and policies. Summarizes the dental therapist model and details policy updates regularly.
Author(s): Jane Koppelman
Date: 09/2016
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Oral Health Care in North Dakota Long Term Care Facilities
Provides data on oral health in long-term care (LTC) facilities in North Dakota. Compares rural and urban variation in oral health policies regarding services and staff training. Includes recommendations to encourage LTC facilities to strengthen relationships with oral health providers and improve access to oral health for their residents.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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