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Resources by Topic: Dental workforce

Oral Health Status of Low-Income Children in Pennsylvania: A Rural-Urban Comparison
Describes research examining the oral health component of the Medical Assistance (MA) program for Pennsylvania children, additional oral health programs and services, the supply and distribution of Pennsylvania dentists, and the overall oral healthcare delivery system for low-income children in rural Pennsylvania. Features statistics including the number of general dentists and specialists who were active MA providers as of 2017, with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and a county-level map showing low-income Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas by rural status as of 2018.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Lisa Davis, Kelly Braun, Myron R. Schwartz
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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More Than a Smile: An Examination of Rural Dental Health Care in Nebraska
Explores the link between oral and total health, and identifies primary barriers to dental healthcare in rural Nebraska and efforts to increase access. Includes county-level maps of Nebraska and the United States, showing Dental Health Professional Shortages Areas as of 2019.
Author(s): Lauren Taylor, Jordan Rasmussen
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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Minnesota's Dental Therapist Workforce, 2019
Provides an overview of the dental therapist workforce in Minnesota, including the history of the profession in the state, educational programs, scope of practice, and licensing requirements. Reports results of a March 2019 survey of the state's dental therapist workforce, with data on demographics, education, employment, work settings, and geographic distribution. Includes data on work location by level of rurality.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Wisconsin Number of Providers Needed to Remove Shortage Designation: Dental Health
Shows the number of providers needed to remove the Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation for each county in the state of Wisconsin.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Dentistry in the Navajo Nation: Q&A with Dr. Crystal Willie Sekaquaptewa
An interview with the first Native American to work as a dentist in the Utah Navajo Health System. Discusses the importance of patient education and cultural competency.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Practice Patterns of Postgraduate Dental Residency Completers From Select Long-Term HRSA-Funded Primary Dental Care Training Programs
Examines the practice decisions of graduates of primary care dental postgraduate training programs with a history of funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Addresses demographics; training and certification; reason for pursing the program; educational debt; the extent to which graduates felt prepared after completing the program, including to care for people in rural communities; practice decisions after completing the program; and patient demographics, including rural residence.
Additional links: Abstract, Policy Brief
Author(s): Ginachukwa Amah, Matthew Jura, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Dental Hygiene Workforce in Iowa: Current Capacity and Implications for Access to Care for the Underserved
Analyzes Iowa's dental hygiene workforce using 2017 licensure and 2018 survey data, as well as other reports from the Iowa Department of Public Health. Includes discussion and a Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) map. Discusses job seeking experiences, career plans, and the dental hygiene workforce supply with a rural perspective.
Author(s): Julie C. Reynolds, Susan C. McKernan, Olayinka Adekugbe, Jennifer M.C. Sukalski, Raymond A. Kuthy
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Iowa Public Policy Center
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A National Study of the Practice Characteristics of Women in Dentistry and Potential Impacts on Access to Care for Underserved Communities
Results of a study to understand differences in practice characteristics by gender, and to plan for changes in the workforce that could affect supply and demand of dental services in underserved areas. Features statistics including practice patterns by gender and year from 2010-2016 with breakdowns by practice location in rural area, small town, micropolitan, metropolitan, or large metropolitan area.
Author(s): Simona Surdu, Margaret Langelier, Yuhao Liu, Nubia Goodwin
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Collaborative Practice as a Strategy for Increasing Access to Oral Health Care in Minnesota
Report highlights the collaborative practices of Minnesota's oral health workforce to improve access to oral healthcare in rural areas. Details the collaboration of dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, and dental therapists in Minnesota.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Network for Public Health Law
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A Tale of Two Public Dental Benefit Programs: Iowa Dentist Participation in Traditional Medicaid Versus a Medicaid Expansion Program
Examines differences in dentist participation in Iowa's Dental Wellness Plan and Medicaid programs and discusses the policy implications for oral health access. Addresses differences in rural and urban participation in both programs.
Author(s): Julie C. Reynolds, Susan C. McKernan, Peter C. Damiano, Raymond A. Kuthy
Citation: BMC Oral Health, 19, 89
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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