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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Aurora Johnson, DHAT, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 4000 Ambassador Dr., Suite 441, Anchorage, AK 99508, 907-729-3645, rnagel@anmc.org

An Alaska Dental Therapist's Perspective Dental caries is the most common disease affecting the Alaskan Natives. Alaska Native children suffer pain of tooth decay and other mouth problems much worse than other youngsters with better access to dental care. Current efforts to address the access issue include the utilization of dental therapists who serve villages too small and isolated to attract or support dentists. In this presentation, the role of a dental therapist as part of the dental delivery system will be described along with a brief outline of the curriculum of the dental therapist program at the University of Otago Dental School in New Zealand, an internationally recognized school of dentistry that has over 85 years of experience with this practice model

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the educational perspective for Dental Therapy program from the University of Otago and the different regions where the program has been implemented.
• Identify the oral health in the Norton Sound Region and what services are available.
• What sort of prevention has been set and an example of work conditions the profession endures in our region.

Keywords: Access, Oral Health

Related Web page: www.antchc.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No