Current U.S. politics is moving toward an attitude of universal health coverage as the new moral high ground, generating an overriding expectation and attitude toward accessing comprehensive, quality health care for every individual. While dentistry has responded with various outreach programs, dissatisfaction prevails from the underserved, and their voice has become more resounding and has been complimented by the current political and economic http://www.selleckchem.com/products/MK-2206.html environment. This outcry has been reinforced and the issue compounded by cuts in federal and state dental programs. For example, there is substantial

reduction in adult dental care (Denti-Cal) available in California (http://www.denti-cal.ca.gov, http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov, selleck products http://www.dhcs.ca.gov). Another factor influencing the future of dentistry can be readily observed with the ever-expanding line of dental procedures being allocated to

dental auxiliaries. Even though dental practitioners are very caring, there has been a slow erosion of diagnostic accountability among dentists, and an expanding emphasis on procedural-based care. This has accompanied the constant evolution of expanding dental procedures to ancillary providers, taking away from the direct professional expertise anticipated by patients. As many of these procedures generate a lowered practice profile, the stage is set for the transfer of more of these responsibilities to non-dentists. All these activities appear to be converging factors and have created opportunities to change the entire landscape of dental care. Following the non-dentist provisions allowed in Alaska, the Minnesota legislature recently approved new “mid-level” providers. Pressure from the governor and support from other sources, such as the dental hygiene association and the medical counterpart of mid-level care community (physicians’ medroxyprogesterone assistants and nurse practitioners), there has been a substantial supporting voice in the political arena.

This culminated with the proposed establishment of a state licensed profession, the “dental therapist” and the “advanced dental therapist.” An initial and necessary response came from the Dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, ACP Past President Dr. Patrick Lloyd, who looked into international models as they currently exist (Reference: ADA News; June 1, 2009; “University of Minnesota reviewing applications for nation’s first dental school-based dental therapy program”). Dr. Lloyd appropriately recommended that a program be developed within the dental school, whereby diagnosis and treatment planning, using the oversight of dentists, would allow for a 2-year graduate as a dental therapist.