Mid Level Dental Healthcare Providers : Who Are They And What Are Their Roles?

Mid-level providers are groups of people who work in dentistry and can include hygienists, therapists, and even assistants. Mid-level providers are slightly different compared to hygienists, therapists, and assistants because they are able to do almost everything a dentist can do and it is still considered within their scope of practice, while the other groups mentioned are much more limited. They are required to at least have a bachelor’s degree, but some go on to get their master’s degree.1 The purpose of this position is to be able to reach more communities and increase access to care to those who are not necessarily able to get to the dentist. They are also supposed to be able to reduce costs and make it easier for more people to be able

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

This proves that the lack of dental insurance within these low-income households plays a key role in whether or not these children will receive dental care. When these children do not visit the dentist, they increase their chances of developing dental caries significantly. The British Dental Journal disclosed that, “Sugars consumption varies by social class. National food surveys reveal a higher consumption of sugar and sugar-containing foods and drinks amongst low income groups”(Watt 8). Healthy food is expensive; therefore lower class families resort to unhealthy food because it is significantly cheaper. This extensive consumption of sugar-ridden foods is extremely detrimental to the enamel. The British Dental Journal also declared that “oral inequalities will only be reduced through the implementation of effective and appropriate oral health promotion policy”(Watt 6). The dental program will make the inequalities in dental care known and work to reduce those inequalities. Dental health is often times overseen because it is typically expensive and people are unaware of how the condition of their teeth affects the condition of the rest of their body. The all-inclusive dental health program will give people the treatment they need, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

In Dr. Parson’s presentation, I learned that there are still many seniors with out dental insurance. This is sad because the population by 2030 is going to double and more will eventually need treatment done by a dentist. According to her presentation oral care is not a concern to the nursing home staff. Some families show up to brush their family members teeth. With the limited financial resources for dental care these patients have it is one of their barriers to getting treatment done if needed or even cleaning. Therefore, we as dental hygienist can help make a difference by going out to the community and offering dental care education to the nursing staff because they must first know how to take care of their oral health before taking care

After all, we have gladly provided exceptional care in our offices – how can we ethically fail to address the need for ongoing dental care for those who may have many years still ahead of them but lack the ability to come to us? (Brown, 5)

The provision of dental treatment in Australia is a topic that ignites a wide range of opinions and emotions among the various stakeholders involved. Much of dentistry in Australia is provided in the private setting, some estimates suggesting 83%1. Australians fund up to 60% of dental care via out of pocket payments1,2. Only a relatively small amount of dental care is provided in the public sector to patients who are often disadvantaged in regards to their oral health1. It is estimated that a large amount of the population is unable to access dental care due to finances; however the capacity of the public sector to provide dental care is limited. With limited funding and resources, the public sector is unable to provide dental care for all Australians and a large proportion of people are on long wait lists, some estimates of 650,0002.

accept Medicaid and this might result in higher utilization in particular wards over others. We did not have information about parental marital status and other private insurance, which could be used for dental services and not reflect in Medicaid billing data. Also, there could be a potential bias due to delayed reporting of the data which might not be included in the dataset when we received it. Also, Centre for Medicaid Services (CMS) uses the information from these datasets and presents it by financial year whereas this analysis was done by calendar year, which may not match with the generally available information. Also, the composition of Medicaid population might not be a true representation of over-all population. People having private dental insurance might have a different utilization pattern for assigned dental home and preventive dental services. We also feel that the information of ward might not be an accurate representation of utilization since people may seek services from a provider in different wards than the one in which they reside. Having data about unique providers, along with unique patient might make a robust database to get more accurate information. Last but not the least, we restricted our definition preventive dental services to a combination of examination and fluoride application, which is not the same as followed by

Oral health has a direct impact on the general health, hence, it is important that all Canadians have adequate access to dental care services. Over the years successive Governments have reduced financial support to programs delivering dental care to most vulnerable populations. As a result, many low income families and other vulnerable groups have been unable to access dental care. There is further escalation in the disparities in oral health care among Canadians, as the number of Canadians losing dental care benefits continues to increase. Also, higher oral health care costs can be expected in the near future due to shortage of health care professionals.

The authors have properly addressed the health disparities in this article. They started the article by telling the audience why Hispanic faces health disparities the most. First, due to the language barrier they have insufficient knowledge of oral health. Most the people who participated in this study were immigrants, Spanish. Only 2/3 of the people spoke and understood little to no English. Second, because of the poverty they have can’t afford dental health and avoid going to see the dentist. ¾ of the parents received an income of $2,000 or under per month. Third, many of the families did not have any type of dental insurance.

Dental insurance coverage is a key determinant on whether to seek care or not. The exclusion of our mouths from the rest of our body parts and not receiving the care it requires is quite impossible to rationalize (McClymont, 2015). Dental care is essential in the maintenance of good oral health and in the identification of symptoms of systemic conditions that most likely are manifested through the mouth. As striking and conspicuous as it may sound, Canada has indeed a type of health care system wherein mouth is excepted as a part of the body. As a matter of fact, our lips, tongues, and throats are securely covered while our teeth and gums are left out from the privilege. The most common infectious disease in the world are dental diseases, and the fact that many health issues can be first diagnosed through the oral cavity validates its importance and co-relevance to the rest of our body. Studies have linked poor oral health such as severity of gum infection to AIDS, first stages of osteoporosis, reveal nutritional deficiencies, immune disorders, cancer, and so on and so forth. Xerostomia or dry mouth for an instance is often a symptom of undetected diabetes. Diabetic patients have higher risks of gum infection caused by increased blood sugar, thickening of blood vessels resulting to hindered healing process that is why they are obligated to undergo pre-medication as a form

Unlike the previous studies mentioned here, this study by Decker & Lipton (2015) looked more on adults who are covered by the Medicaid. Two key findings were revealed in this study—first of all, an increase of the likelihood of dental care visit is evidenced by those who have Medicaid coverage and second, there is also a reduction of the likelihood of untreated dental caries. It is also concluded that Medicaid is essential in promoting dental care and that it is strongly suggested that it should be expanded to further benefit a wider population of

Dental care coverage is much less dominant than medical care coverage in the United States. When compared between medical and dental coverage of adults over the age of 21, about 15 percent have no form of medical care coverage, but over 45 percent have no form of dental care coverage (Brown & Manski, 2004; Buchmueller, Miller, & Vujicic, 2014). Moreover, Americans over 65 continue to be the age group with

Beneficiaries are not the only ones bearing the costs of emergency dental services. The PEW Center on the States (2012), reported “the average cost of a Medicaid enrollee’s inpatient hospital treatment for dental problems is nearly 10 times more expensive than the cost of preventive care delivered in a dentist’s office.” Emergency departments are costly places for dental treatment and are significantly more expensive than a general practice dental visit (Wall, Nasseh, & Vujicic, 2014). Additionally, emergency department personnel are usually inadequately trained to diagnose and treat dental conditions (Cohen, 2013). Consequently, oral health issues often persist and Medicaid ends up covering the cost of advanced disease. Though limited budgets compel states to modify Medicaid coverage of adult dental benefits, covering preventative oral care would provide financial benefits for both beneficiaries and states. Routine oral exams are more economically feasible than emergency services that do not address the root of oral problems.

Clearly just the provision of public dental insurance is not sufficient to eliminate disparities in the receipt of oral health care (Northridge et al., 2017; Schrimshaw, Siegel, Wolfson, Mitchell, & Kunzel, 2011). Recent progresses have accelerated shifts to unify dentistry and medicine as one field. Central to this movement is the acknowledgement that continued separation of these two fields disproportionately affects vulnerable populations of patients. Low-income people, individuals with disabilities, some racial group and rural are all more likely to suffer from dental disease and pain and will have difficulty gaining access to health care (Caldwell et al., 2016; Kim, Baker, Seirawan, & Crimmins, 2012; Kulkarni, Baldwin, Lightstone, Gelberg, & Diamant, 2010; Liu, Li, & Walker, 2014; Moffet et al., 2010).

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.