title: Dental therapists in general dental practices: an economic evaluation.
abstract: Dental access disparities are well documented and have been recognized as a national problem. Their major cause is the lack of reasonable Medicaid reimbursement rates for the underserved. Specifically, Medicaid reimbursement rates for children average 40 percent below market rates. In addition, most state Medicaid programs do not cover adults. To address these issues, advocates of better oral health for the underserved are considering support for a new allied provider--a dental therapist--capable of providing services at a lower cost per service and in low-income and rural areas. Using a standard economic analysis, this study estimated the potential cost, price, utilization, and dentist's income effects of dental therapists employed in general dental practices. The analysis is based on national general dental practice data and the broadest scope of responsibility for dental therapists that their advocates have advanced, including the ability to provide restorations and extractions to adults and children, training for three years, and minimum supervision. Assuming dental therapists provide restorative, extraction, and pulpal services to patients of all ages and dental hygienists continue to deliver all hygiene services, the mean reduction in a general practice costs ranges between 1.57 and 2.36 percent. For dental therapists treating children only, the range is 0.31 to 0.47 percent. The effects on price and utilization are even smaller. In addition, the effects on most dentists' gross income, hours of work, and net income are negative. The estimated economic impact of dental therapists in the United States on private dental practice is very limited; therefore, the demand for dental therapists by private practices also would probably be very limited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Beazoglou@nso1.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Tryfon J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Beazoglou
authors.forename: Vickie F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: Albert H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.forename: Dennis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Heffley
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bailit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D017046:Cost Savings; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D032022:Delegation, Professional; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000191:economics* / Q000193:education; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000191:economics; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000191:economics*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D018803:Models, Economic; D011203:Poverty; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000191:economics; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics; D012424:Rural Population; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States