Do Mid-Level Dental Providers
In order to address the limited dental care access for the poor and underserved population, one of the strategies that have been implemented in some states is to utilize midlevel dental providers. Midlevel dental providers are also often called as the advanced dental hygiene practitioner, community dental health coordinator, dental health aide therapist, and dental therapist. Midlevel dental providers can perform fewer procedures than a dentist such as diagnosing dental diseases, providing preventive services, and performing simple restoration procedures and non-surgical extractions. Currently there are three states where midlevel providers now serve – Alaska (2004), Minnesota (2009), and Maine (2016).
What is a mid-level provider? ASDA …show more content…
The question is if these mid-level dental providers are necessary and a good idea for our patients? Will these mid-level providers solve the problem of “dental care crisis” in the poor and underserved population? Some have argued that mid-level dental providers could be a potential opening the door for the dentists to perform more complex procedures because the mid-level providers can normally only perform routine/simple dental cares. Thus this can be viewed as a way to expand a dentist’s practice and maximizing profit. However, some also may argued that dentists do not want their profession’s quality of care to be substandard and to be in jeopardy with the addition of mid-level providers who are less educated in dentistry. Thus, these mid-level providers have been described as both the solution to the disparities on oral health care as well as a threat to the survival of the dental …show more content…
However, many “dental therapist” models recommend two years or less. Non-dentist midlevel provider models allow “dental therapists” with two or less years of post-high school education to independently determine what are “simple” versus “complex” procedures, and to perform irreversible surgical procedures with little or no direct supervision by fully trained and licensed dentists. Proponents of these models imply that because midlevel providers earn less money than dentists, the dental care they provide will be less
What is a mid-level provider? ASDA …show more content…
The question is if these mid-level dental providers are necessary and a good idea for our patients? Will these mid-level providers solve the problem of “dental care crisis” in the poor and underserved population? Some have argued that mid-level dental providers could be a potential opening the door for the dentists to perform more complex procedures because the mid-level providers can normally only perform routine/simple dental cares. Thus this can be viewed as a way to expand a dentist’s practice and maximizing profit. However, some also may argued that dentists do not want their profession’s quality of care to be substandard and to be in jeopardy with the addition of mid-level providers who are less educated in dentistry. Thus, these mid-level providers have been described as both the solution to the disparities on oral health care as well as a threat to the survival of the dental …show more content…
However, many “dental therapist” models recommend two years or less. Non-dentist midlevel provider models allow “dental therapists” with two or less years of post-high school education to independently determine what are “simple” versus “complex” procedures, and to perform irreversible surgical procedures with little or no direct supervision by fully trained and licensed dentists. Proponents of these models imply that because midlevel providers earn less money than dentists, the dental care they provide will be less