« March 2012 Issue

Filling the Gap in Access to Dental Care

Roughly 83 million Americans face barriers to dental care, a key component in maintaining oral health. For more than 50 million children and adults, one of the biggest barriers to dental care is living in areas without enough dentists. Oral health is essential to overall health, with poor oral health being linked to heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke and other serious health problems. Without proper dental care, small issues can turn into much larger problems.

Over the past few years, there has been a growing awareness about the need to increase access to dental care, especially in low-income communities. That’s why Community Catalyst, with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, leads the Dental Access Project. The Dental Access Project has a number of priorities and initiatives, including engaging consumers and policymakers in the policy debate regarding unmet oral health needs and promoting innovative workforce solutions to increase access to dental care. A major focus is the Dental Therapist Project, a workforce initiative that aims to expand the dental team to include a new primary care provider, a dental therapist. As part of this project, Community Catalyst provides assistance to the five states that are building consumer and community advocacy to improve access to oral health by expanding the dental team.

Dental therapists are mid-level providers, similar to nurse practitioners, who can help end the shortage of dental providers and deliver care in underserved communities. They support the work of a dentist and can work in different locations while under the dentist's general supervision. Based off a successful model in Alaska, dental therapists are a promising new direction for the field of oral health. Widespread use of dental therapists would dramatically increase access to dental care for millions of Americans.

In addition to working with state policymakers and community-based organizations on initiatives such as the Dental Therapist Project, the Dental Access Project engages in advocacy at the federal level. Recently there have been exciting developments as policy and political leaders have stepped up their research and recommendations around oral health. The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign released a report, “A Costly Dental Destination: Hospital Care Means States Pay Dearly,” which details how thousands of Americans are ending up in the emergency room as a result of preventable dental conditions. In Congress, oral health has found a champion in Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). In addition to releasing a report, “Dental Crisis in America: The Need to Expand Access,” Sen. Sanders held a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging to discuss the need to improve access to dental care.

At Community Catalyst, we believe that all communities deserve accessible, high-quality and affordable dental care. The work of the Dental Access Project and its state and federal partners takes vital steps toward closing a gap in care for millions of Americans.