141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

293596
How Alaska dental health aide therapists serve the population in isolated villages and the applicability of this model to other regions in the United States

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Mary Williard, DDS , Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortiumj, Anchorage, AK
Dental therapists (DHATs) practice in community-based clinics in isolated villages under general “remote” supervision by dentists, after having completed intensive 2 year education program and supervised clinical practice. They provide preventive and restorative care within the scope of their limited scope of practice safely and competently. There is a high level of patient satisfaction with their service.  

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Describe the way in which dental health aide therapist works as part of a team of care providers with the dentist as the leader/ supervisor.

Keywords: Access and Services, Early Childhood Caries

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I graduated from The Ohio State University School of Dentistry then completed a 2-year General Practice Dental Residency at the Carolina's Medical Center. I have been the principle on multiple federally and privately funded grants focusing on disease prevention, clinical practice and workforce development. Helped write the federal DHA standards and have supervised DHAs. I am currently an appointee to the Community Health Aide Program Certification Board and Dental Health Aide Therapist Educatonal Program Director.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.