Igniting a movement in a dual-licensed dental workforce: The Minnesota model

Abstract

Aims: Increased awareness of oral health disparities in the United States has highlighted the need to expand the workforce and access to both primary and preventive dental care. Achieving the goal of oral health equity will require dental team members with appropriate clinical skills dedicated to reaching historically marginalized populations through intra- and interprofessional practice. Materials and Methods: Collective efforts by healthcare advocates in Minnesota led to legislation that created a dental hygiene-based workforce model inspired by the vision and foresight of the American Dental Hygienists' Association's ‘Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner’. Results: In July 2023, there were 141 licensed dental therapists and 99 certified advanced dental therapists, the majority dually licensed as dental hygienists/dental therapists, providing primary care services in a variety of settings throughout the state. Current data confirm the contributions of this workforce model to increasing access to primary oral health care for Minnesotans across the lifespan. Conclusions: While challenges remain, new opportunities are emerging for dual-licensed dental hygienists/dental therapists to reach intended populations. Minnesota's challenges and successes with the authorization and implementation of a dental hygiene-based workforce model can serve to assist others in developing their own intra- and interprofessional oral health care practitioners.