Advancing Oral Health Equity through Dental Workforce Advances
In this workshop, promotoras and promotores will ground oral health access in economic, racial, and social equity. The presenters will engage audience members in understanding the root causes of oral health inequities and how these inequities are connected to communities’ overall economic and social ecosystem. We will introduce dental therapy (dental therapists are mid-level oral health professionals who, under the supervision of a dentist, provide a range of preventive and restorative dental care services) as a solution to address oral health and workforce inequities in California’s communities. We will also describe a community-building effort to advance the authorization of dental therapists in California and provide concrete ways for workshop participants to participate in this effort.
- Understand what dental therapy is and explore the history of the authorization of dental therapists across the country and the world.
- Hear from a Spanish-speaking dental therapist about their career.