Introduction

Dental therapy benefits many different groups, which is why it attracts such a wide range of support from various sectors — Tribal governments, community groups and non-profits, consumer advocates, labor unions, hospitals, community health centers, dental insurance companies, dental hygiene associations, educational institutions, free-market think tanks, dentists, and others. These groups have a variety of social, economic, and ideological reasons for supporting dental therapy, but they all come together to advocate for this evidence-based policy.

Done well, dental therapy programs help address a fundamental issue for communities that have had to overcome significant barriers to access to basic oral health care: Trust. A clean policy, based on evidence and informed by the trailblazing dental therapy education program in Alaska, ensures educational opportunities and jobs are accessible to communities where needs are the greatest. Building a dental workforce of local providers who are culturally and linguistically tied to the communities where they live and work is changing communities’ relationship with oral health care from the inside out.

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Resources

Dental Access Program

Community Catalyst created the Dental Access Project to address inequitable access and other barriers to oral health care. We partner with community advocates to identify and implement community-based solutions that help people get quality, affordable dental care where and when they need it, in their own communities.

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What is Minimally-Invasive Care?

Minimally-Invasive Care (MIC) is effective oral health care that’s less complex than what most people are used to. When people think of dental care, they most often imagine “traditional” dental procedures like drilling and filling cavities, root canals, pulling teeth, and getting dentures (or other dental prosthetics). These services are typically provided in a dentist’s office or an operating room. While these can be necessary procedures, less invasive care may be an available and effective alternative.

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Oral Health Policy Equity Tool

Community Catalyst’s Oral Health Policy Equity Tool is an interactive resource to help advocates, organizers, funders, and other key stakeholders analyze policies and center oral health agenda-setting in the principles of equity and community engagement.

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