title: ThE Alaska Native Tribal Health System Dental Health Aide Therapist as a dentist-centric model.
abstract: Differences in disease patterns and living circumstances should play no role in the quality of oral health care or in dentists' role in directing this care. Such differences, however, very likely suggest that the delivery model that works in many circumstances may not be best in all. The Alaska Tribal Health System Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) model is one alternative whose potential is being evaluated. These teams are managed by dentists and have several features in common with general practice residency training programs. Alaska dentists supervising DHATs customize their practice protocols based on the skills of the therapists and the needs of the communities served. The emphasis of therapists is on prevention and basic oral health services, leaving the dentists to focus on higher level treatment that better uses the skills for which they have been trained. The characteristics of effective dentist team managers and the economic and social realities of this program are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, USA. mewilliard@anmc.org
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williard
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003150:Community Health Workers; D032022:Delegation, Professional; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000193:education; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003815:Dentists; D004526:Efficiency; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D009909:Oral Health; D010348:Patient Care Team