Journal article
Dental therapists linked to improved dental outcomes for Alaska Native communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Journal of public health dentistry, Vol.78(2), pp.175-182
03/01/2018
DOI: 10.1111/jphd.12263
PMCID: PMC6019600
PMID: 29377127
Abstract
Objectives: Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs) have been part of the dental workforce in Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta since 2006. They are trained to provide preventive and restorative care such as filling and extractions. In this study, we evaluated community-level dental outcomes associated with DHATs.
Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of Alaska Medicaid and electronic health record data for individuals in Alaska's YK Delta (2006-2015). The independent variable was the number of DHAT treatment days in each community. Child outcomes were preventive care, extractions, and general anesthesia. Adult outcomes were preventive care and extractions. We estimated Spearman partial correlation coefficients to test our hypotheses that increased DHAT treatment days would be associated with larger proportions utilizing preventive care and smaller proportions receiving extractions at the community-level.
Results: DHAT treatment days were positively associated with preventive care utilization and negatively associated with extractions for children and adults (P < 0.0001). DHAT treatment days were not associated with increased dental treatment under general anesthesia for children.
Conclusions: Dental therapists are associated with more preventive care and fewer extractions. State-level policies should consider dental therapists as part of a comprehensive solution to meet the dental care needs of individuals in underserved communities and help achieve health equity and social justice.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Dental therapists linked to improved dental outcomes for Alaska Native communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
- Creators
- Donald L. Chi - University of WashingtonDane Lenaker - Southeast Alaska Regional Health ConsortiumLloyd Mancl - University of WashingtonMatthew Dunbar - University of WashingtonMichael Babb - University of Washington
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of public health dentistry, Vol.78(2), pp.175-182
- DOI
- 10.1111/jphd.12263
- PMID
- 29377127
- PMCID
- PMC6019600
- NLM abbreviation
- J Public Health Dent
- ISSN
- 0022-4006
- eISSN
- 1752-7325
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- K08DE020856 / U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) R24HD042828 / EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) W.K. Kellogg Foundation Pew Charitable Trusts Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University Rasmuson Foundation K08DE020856 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) William T. Grant Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984283708702771
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