A Little Perspective
In a study done on Ohio 3rd graders from 2013-20151:
- Children in Appalachia (32 counties spanning from NE to SW Ohio borders) had higher rates of untreated cavities and history of tooth decay
- Lower-income children and those without private insurance had twice the untreated dental caries even though the percentage of children that visited the dentist at least once a year was comparable (72% for noninsured and 80% for insured)
- More kids have sealants today –> 48% of kids (15% increase in from 1998 to present).
- 80% of children in Ohio have visited a dentist in the past year (national avg. 49%)
Senate Bill 98
- Establish licensing of dental therapists
- A dental therapist is a mid-level provider with 3 years of education capable of performing simple restorations, extractions, D&T, and Local anesthetic administration w/o the direct supervision of a dentist.
- May practice in any area if the supervising dentist’s practice sees 20% Medicaid patients
- Proposed by Sen. Peggy Lehner, supported by Universal Healthcare Action Network and funded primarily by the Kellogg Foundation
The Pro-Dental Therapist Position:
The dentist would be the employer and delegate patient care in underserved areas in his/her region to the dental therapist. The hope is that dentists would be able to take on more low income/Medicaid patients than what current economic circumstances afford. Advocates stress heavily that the dental therapist has proven its effectiveness in other countries and states, and believe that the addition of Dental Therapists to the “dental team” would be a seamless transition4.
The ODA’s Position:
Focus on the improvement of Medicaid reimbursement rates and greater access to care will follow. A dental therapist training program would be expensive. It would divert funds away from other proven approaches that ensure comprehensive oral health care like student loan repayment for dentists working in underserved areas and free dental care programs like “Give Kids a Smile” & “Head Start”. Utilize tele-dentistry to empower dentists with the ability to utilize hygienists and EFDA’s in more efficient ways. The ODA currently supports Ohio Dental Care Optimization Act- House 134 to address barriers to care.2
References:
- 2015 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey. http://grcapps.osu.edu/dashboards/OMAS/child. Accessed 1/27/17.
- Current Legislative Issues . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://oda.org/advocacy/current-issues/
- Gupta N, Yarbrough C, Vujicic M, Blatz A, Harrison B. Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates for child and adult
dental care services for all states, 2016. Health Policy Institute Research Brief. American Dental Association. April 2017
- U.S.Cong., Ohio Senate Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee. (18, February 6). [Cong. Bill from 132 Cong.]. Retrieved from https://www.ohiochannel.org/video/ohio-senate-health-human-services-and-medicaid-committee-2-6-2018