title: Increasing Access to Dental and Medical Care by Allowing Greater Flexibility in Scope of Practice.
abstract: In recent years, advocates for increasing access to medical and oral health care have argued for expanding the scope of practice of dentists and physicians. Although this idea may have merit, significant legal and other barriers stand in the way of allowing dentists to do more primary health care, physicians to do more oral health care, and both professions to collaborate. State practice acts, standards of care, and professional school curricula all support the historical separation between the 2 professions. Current laws do not contemplate working across professional boundaries, leaving providers who try vulnerable to legal penalties. Here we examine the legal, regulatory, and training barriers to dental and medical professionals performing services outside their traditional scope of practice.
authors.affiliation: Richard J. Manski is with the Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry; Diane Hoffmann and Virginia Rowthorn are with the Law and Health Care Program, Carey School of Law; and Virginia Rowthorn is also with the Global Health Interprofessional Council, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Manski
authors.affiliation: Richard J. Manski is with the Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry; Diane Hoffmann and Virginia Rowthorn are with the Law and Health Care Program, Carey School of Law; and Virginia Rowthorn is also with the Global Health Interprofessional Council, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Richard J. Manski is with the Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry; Diane Hoffmann and Virginia Rowthorn are with the Law and Health Care Program, Carey School of Law; and Virginia Rowthorn is also with the Global Health Interprofessional Council, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rowthorn
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000639:trends; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D010819:Physician's Role; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States