ADHA applauds DHAT report

Oct 27, 2010

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) is pleased that the results of the "Evaluation of the Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) Workforce Model in Alaska" report indicate the effectiveness of adding alternative oral healthcare providers to the dental team.

This is one of the first major demonstrations in the U.S. that restorative services can be successfully administered by nondentist providers, the ADHA said in a press release, and the organization is encouraged that the research indicates that the therapist model seems to be successful in bringing dental care to those in remote Alaskan villages and that the report highlights the technical performance of restorative services that are administered by DHATs.

The ADHA has long acknowledged the need for new dental providers to deliver oral healthcare services to those beyond the reach of the current system. The situation in Alaska presents unique challenges in accessing dental care, and the ADHA believes that there are rural and urban underserved populations in the remaining 49 states that will require additional oral health providers with varying skill sets.

"We are already seeing increased demand for new types of dental providers, and looking at ways to use the existing dental hygiene workforce in an advanced practice capacity is a concept that is gaining momentum," said ADHA President Caryn Solie, R.D.H., in the release. "With a ready workforce of over 150,000 dental hygienists nationwide, an advanced practice dental hygienist or dental hygienist-therapist model that combines the established preventive professional expertise of the dental hygienist with basic restorative skills we anticipate will be a powerful solution to breaking down barriers the underserved currently face when seeking oral healthcare services."

The report was conducted by RTI International and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Rasmuson Foundation, and the Bethel Community Services Foundation.

Other dental industry organizations, including the ADA, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, are questioning the findings of the report and cautioning overinterpretation of its positive conclusions regarding DHATs.