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Former US HHS Secretary pushes new models of dental care

Dave Thompson
/
Prairie Public

A former secretary of the federal Department if Health and Human Services says there is a need to change North Dakota’s dental health workforce.

"The reality is -- if we are to meet the oral health needs of our citizens, we must consider new models of care," Dr. Louis Sullivan told the Legislature's interim Health Services Committee.

That interim panel is looking at measures to allow dental hygienists to receive training, so they can do some simple dental procedures, such as routine check-ups and preventive services – all while under the supervision of a dentist, either in the office or remotely. Sullivan says there’s a growing lack of access to dentistry – especially in more rural areas.

"When dentists are in short supply, dental therapists, who actually receive as much or more clinical training hours than dentists do on a specific number of routine and preventative procedures, they can expand the reach of dentists," Sullivan told the Committee. "They can provide vital dental services, oral health education and prevention. They can offer a continuity of care for underserved communities."

Sullivan says Alaska and Minnesota have adopted laws to allow hygienists to do the routine work.

But the executive director of the North Dakota Dental Association is urging caution.

"Why don't we wait until there's enough evidence that it's going to make a difference in North dakota?" said Fargo dentist Dr. Brent Holman. He says the lack of dental care in some areas is not just a matter of workforce.  He says it’s much broader than that.

"That specific proposal doesn't address cost of care," Holman said. "It doesn't address whether quality is assured in a state like North Dakota. And it doesn't address preventive education. Studies have shown those are very important things. And they may be more important than the workforce."

A bill to allow hygienists to receive that training was defeated in the 2015 Legislature. But the issue was assigned to the interim committee for further study.

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