Dental Access Project

What's New
Partners
Resources

Sep 11, 2017

Connecting Mouth to the Body: Integrating Oral Health into ACOs

Poor oral health can lead to other health problems, including cardiovascular disease, and some chronic health conditions, like diabetes, are associated with poor oral health. [ Blog ]

Aug 07, 2017

Preventable Diseases Show The Impact Of Racial Disparities

This blog is part of a series that will highlight how structural racism in the health care system negatively affects the health of individuals of color. Community Catalyst is committed to exposing and dismantling policies, practices and attit... [ Blog ]

Jun 08, 2017

Oral Health: How the Dental System Fails to Deliver

If you arrived at an emergency room or urgent care clinic with a painful infection of your finger that is causing you to miss work and otherwise interfere with daily living – would they give you pain relievers and send you on your way? [ Blog ]

Mar 28, 2017

A Doctor’s Perspective on Dental Therapy

A primary care doctor shares his insights on the connection between good oral health and overall health, and the importance of expanding the dental care team. [ Blog ]

Feb 21, 2017

Dental Therapists at Work: The Economic Benefits of Dental Therapy

Dental therapists have been practicing in the U.S. for more than 10 years. They have improved access to dental care for underserved communities in Alaska since 2005 and in Minnesota since 2011. [ Blog ]

Feb 08, 2017

Biting back – why it’s important to protect your oral health care

On January 30, 26-year-old Vadim Kondratyuk of California, a father to two small children, died from a dental infection that spread to his blood and his lungs. Tragically, Vadim is not alone. Each year, millions of people go without treatment to their ... [ Blog ]

Jan 05, 2017

Survey: 80% of U.S. voters support dental therapists

Tera Bianchi, project manager for the Dental Access Project, is quoted on DrBicuspid.com talking about our new poll confirming that the vast majority of Americans want a mid-level dental provider like Dental Therapists. [ News Clip ]

Sep 21, 2016

Dental Therapy Is a Solution to the Oral Health Crisis Everyone Can Agree On

Chances are you know someone who has struggled to access dental care. It is a nationwide crisis that, according to the American Dental Association, is only projected to worsen. The need for accessible dental care is most urgent in rural areas and for v... [ Blog ]

Jun 24, 2016

Momentum Is On Our Side: Vermont Votes Yes on Dental Therapists

On Monday, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a new law that will allow dental therapists to work in Vermont. It’s an exciting victory on a number of levels. To start, this makes Vermont the fourth state to add dental therapists to the dental ... [ Blog ]

Jun 21, 2016

Big smiles in Vermont over dental therapy

Tera Bianchi, Project Director for our Dental Access Project, joins host of Marketplace's Health Desk, Dan Gorenstein, to talk about the recent passage of a bill authorizing Dental Therapists to practice in the state of Vermont. [ News Clip ]

May 16, 2016

Vermont's Dental Therapy Legislation is Latest Victory in Effort to Improve Access to Dental Care

This week, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is expected to sign into law legislation that will greatly expand access to dental care by allowing dental therapists to practice in Vermont. [ Press Release ]

Sep 15, 2015

From charity to Philanthropy: Supporting Dental Therapy and Proven Models of Care

When I accepted the first CEO position at the REACH Healthcare Foundation more than 11 years ago, I was introduced to the important distinction between philanthropy and charity [ Blog ]

Kansas

Kansas Action for Children

Kansas Action for Children's mission is to shape health, education and economic policy that will improve the lives of Kansas children and families.

New Mexico

Health Action New Mexico

At Health Action New Mexico we work to empower consumers to build healthy communities and secure better health care for their families. Since 1995, HANM has been a consumer and decision maker resource for: cutting-edge research; latest reform developments; training & education; policy solutions for quality health care access.

Ohio

UHCAN Ohio

UHCAN Ohio's mission is to achieve high quality, accessible, affordable health care for all Ohioans.

Vermont

Voices for Vermont's Children

Voices for Vermont's Children's mission is to promote public policy that enhances the lives of children and youth in Vermont.

Washington

The Children's Alliance

The Children Alliance's mission is to improve the well being of children by effecting positive changes in public policies, priorities, and programs.

Dental Therapists: Expanding Access to Oral Health Care

Some states are addressing many of the barriers listed in this fact sheet by authorizing the use of dental therapists as part of the dental team. [ Publication ]

Oral Health in the New Health Care Reality Fact Sheet

This fact sheet discusses the importance of Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in providing dental coverage and oral health services. [ Resource ]

Letter to CODA on Implementation of Dental Therapy Training Standards

More than one hundred partners from around the country signed on to a letter to the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The letter strongly urged CODA to implement the dental therapy educational standards they adopted earlier this year. [ Comment Letter ]

Commission on Dental Accreditation Adopts National Standards for Dental Therapy Training Programs

This fact sheet explains the Commission on Dental Accreditation newly adopted standards for dental therapy training standards and next steps in the accreditation process for the dental therapy program. [ Publication ]

Increasing Access to Dental Care by Expanding the Dental Team to Include the Practice of Dental Therapists

Dental therapists offer the opportunity to enhance the dental workforce and bring quality, affordable dental care to every community. [ Publication ]

Recommended Standards for Dental Therapy Education Programs in the United States

Convened by Community Catalyst, a panel of academic experts has developed a set of evidence-based, national standards for education programs that train dental therapists in the United States. [ Publication ]

Creating Standards for Consistent, High-Quality Dental Therapy Education in the United States

Community Catalyst convened a panel of national experts to develop a set of national standards to education programs that train dental therapists in the United States. This papers summarizes their findings. [ Publication ]

Ensuring Access to Pediatric Dental Benefits in the Affordable Care Act

The ACA represents a significant opportunity to expand dental coverage to millions of children. Unfortunately, the separate treatment of dental and medical benefits in regulations present challenges to ensuring dental coverage access to all children. [ Publication ]

Economic Viability of Dental Therapists

This report assesses the economic viability of services provided by practicing midlevel dental providers in the U.S. and shows that they are expanding preventive dental care to people who need it most: children and those who can't afford care. [ Publication ]

Infographic: Dental Therapists Are A Smart Investment

Dental therapists are increasing access to oral health care especially for those who need it most: low-income families, people of color, people living in rural areas, and those on Medicaid. [ Publication ]

Letter to Senator Bernard Sanders Regarding Comprehensive Dental Health Legislation

Community Catalyst supports Senator Sanders' legislation to systematically improve access to oral health care services, including the extension of comprehensive dental insurance to millions of Americans. [ Publication ]

Letter to Dr. Jerilyn Glass on Priming the Pump of Primary Care

Community Catalyst comments specifically on the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry report's recommendation to support the outcomes measures of the various expansions in dental workforce models currently being developed i [ Publication ]

More Resources »

Expanding access to oral health care

Connecting Mouth to the Body: Integrating Oral Health into ACOs

Preventable Diseases Show The Impact Of Racial Disparities

Oral Health: How the Dental System Fails to Deliver

A Doctor’s Perspective on Dental Therapy

Dental Therapists at Work: The Economic Benefits of Dental Therapy

Biting back – why it’s important to protect your oral health care

Survey: 80% of U.S. voters support dental therapists

Dental Therapy Is a Solution to the Oral Health Crisis Everyone Can Agree On

Momentum Is On Our Side: Vermont Votes Yes on Dental Therapists

Big smiles in Vermont over dental therapy

Vermont's Dental Therapy Legislation is Latest Victory in Effort to Improve Access to Dental Care

From charity to Philanthropy: Supporting Dental Therapy and Proven Models of Care

Kansas

Kansas Action for Children

New Mexico

Health Action New Mexico

Ohio

UHCAN Ohio

Vermont

Voices for Vermont's Children

Washington

The Children's Alliance

Dental Therapists: Expanding Access to Oral Health Care

Oral Health in the New Health Care Reality Fact Sheet

Letter to CODA on Implementation of Dental Therapy Training Standards

Commission on Dental Accreditation Adopts National Standards for Dental Therapy Training Programs

Increasing Access to Dental Care by Expanding the Dental Team to Include the Practice of Dental Therapists

Recommended Standards for Dental Therapy Education Programs in the United States

Creating Standards for Consistent, High-Quality Dental Therapy Education in the United States

Ensuring Access to Pediatric Dental Benefits in the Affordable Care Act

Economic Viability of Dental Therapists

Infographic: Dental Therapists Are A Smart Investment

Letter to Senator Bernard Sanders Regarding Comprehensive Dental Health Legislation

Letter to Dr. Jerilyn Glass on Priming the Pump of Primary Care

Our Impact

Featured

Oral Health in the New Health Care Reality Fact Sheet

Dental Therapists Are A Smart Investment

Our Work Around the Country