About Dental Therapy

What is a Dental Therapist?

Dental Therapists, or Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs), are primary oral health care providers that deliver routine and preventive care under the supervision of a dentist. . Dental therapists were first introduced to the United States over 15 years ago by a consortium of Alaska Native tribal health organizations. Thanks to their leadership and courage, over 40,000 Native Alaskans now have access to regular dental care for the first time. Dental therapists are community-based health providers that are recruited from their communities and go back to serve their communities.

Dental therapists have a much smaller scope of practice than a dentist, including:

  • Educating patients about oral health and prevention

  • Performing dental evaluations

  • Giving fluoride treatments

  • Placing sealants

  • Cleaning teeth

  • Placing fillings

  • Performing simple extractions

Tribal communities have benefited from the reliable, culturally competent care dental therapists offer. Where dental therapists are practicing tribal communities see:

  • Expanded access to consistent, routine, high-quality oral health care

  • More AI/AN oral health care providers in professional wage jobs

  • A more efficient and effective oral health team that brings care where it is needed most, inside and outside of the clinic

  • Cost-effective solutions to clinics striving to maximize care on limited budgets

Check out our compilation of recent dental therapy and oral health workforce literature here! Or take a look here if you also want Washington state-specific information!

Please find an online course with more information through the Arcora Foundation!

Optimizing Dental Teams with Dental Therapists is for clinicians, administrators, and those who want a deeper dive into Dental Therapy!

3 CDE Credits Available

What is a Dental Pilot Project #100?

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) sponsored Oregon Dental Pilot Project #100, which was active from 2016-2023. The Oregon Tribes Dental Health Aide Therapist Pilot Project was conducted in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI), the Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA). The pilot educated and employed dental therapists to serve American Indian/Alaska Native patients, increasing access to care in those communities.

PILOT PROJECT #100 FINDINGS:

SPOTLIGHT ON CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF COOS, LOWER UMPQUA AND SIUSLAW INDIANS DENTAL CLINIC

For More Information:

Thank You to Our Supporters

The success of Oregon Pilot Project #100 can be attributed to the Tribal leadership and fearless advocates that have worked tirelessly to ensure our tribal nations in Oregon have access to culturally competent, high quality and safe oral healthcare. We want to thank all those who supported this pilot in the beginning and who continue to support our work.

Check out our Dental Therapy partners!

National Partnership for Dental Therapy.

American Dental Therapy Association.