title: Impact of dental therapists on productivity and finances: II. Federally Qualified Health Centers.
abstract: This article estimates the impact of dental therapists treating children on Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dental clinic finances and productivity. The analysis is based on twelve months of patient visit and financial data from large FQHC dental clinics (multiple delivery sites) in Connecticut and Wisconsin. Assuming dental therapists provide restorative, extraction, and pulpal services and dental hygienists continue to deliver all hygiene services, the maximum reduction in costs is about 6 percent. The limited impact of dental therapists on FQHC dental clinic finances is because 1) dental therapists only account for 17 percent of children services and 2) dentists are responsible for only 25 percent of clinic expenses and cost reductions are related to the difference between dental therapist and dentist wage rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Beazoglou@nso1.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Tryfon J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Beazoglou
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bailit
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeVitto
authors.forename: Taegen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Myne-Joslin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003237:Connecticut; D017046:Cost Savings; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000191:economics; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003785:Dental Pulp Capping / Q000191:economics; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000191:economics; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005250:Fees, Dental; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000191:economics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000191:economics; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D018803:Models, Economic; D011203:Poverty; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000191:economics; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D014922:Wisconsin
chemical_list: D003723:Dental Amalgam