In many communities, the nearest dentist is hours away. Families may wait a long time for a simple filling. In recent years, some states and tribal communities have looked for new ways to bring routine care closer to home. One answer is the dental therapist.
A dental therapist is a licensed oral health provider who offers preventive and routine restorative care, such as filling cavities, as part of a dental team. In this guide, you will learn what dental therapists do, how their training works, and where the role is authorized in the United States. You will also see how this role connects to access to care. If you are exploring oral health careers, it is one more path worth knowing about.
Dental therapists work alongside dentists and other team members. The Pew Charitable Trusts describes them as providers who offer preventive and routine restorative care, such as filling cavities.
The exact scope depends on state law. The American Dental Hygienists' Association summarizes most state models as a preventive and restorative scope. In Minnesota, advanced dental therapists may also perform certain routine, nonsurgical extractions under a collaborative agreement with a dentist.
Dental therapists usually work under an agreement with a supervising or collaborating dentist. That dentist handles complex cases and stays connected to the patient's care plan.
Each dental team member has a distinct role. Dental hygienists focus on cleanings, screenings and patient education. Dental assistants support procedures and prepare patients. Dentists diagnose, plan treatment and handle the full range of care. Dental therapists add routine restorative work, such as fillings, within a defined scope. Our guide to dentistry vs dental hygiene explains how two of those roles compare.
In February 2015, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) adopted national accreditation standards for dental therapy education programs. According to Dental Tribune's report, the standards require at least three academic years of full-time instruction, or its equivalent, at the postsecondary level.
Programs vary. Some admit students directly. Others build on prior training, such as dental hygiene. Graduates must also meet the licensing requirements of the state or tribal authority where they plan to work.
Dental therapy is authorized in some places and not others. The ADHA's summary, revised in February 2024, lists these states as authorizing dental therapy: Minnesota, Maine, Vermont, Washington, Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Connecticut, Oregon and Colorado. It also lists tribal lands in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Washington. In Idaho and Montana, the summary notes that practice is limited to tribal lands.
Laws continue to change, and professional groups hold different views on the model. Always check your state's current rules before you plan a career around this role.
Access to dental care is uneven. Many rural and low-income communities have few dentists nearby. Our article on medical deserts explains how distance and cost keep people from care. Our guide on why oral health is a public health issue shows how these gaps affect whole communities.
Dental therapy is one approach that some communities use to bring routine care closer. Learning about it helps you understand the wider system you may work in someday.
Ask yourself a few questions. Do you want to provide hands-on care in less time than dental school takes? Are you willing to work in the specific states or tribal communities where the role is authorized? Do you enjoy prevention and routine care more than complex treatment? If you answered yes, talk with a dental therapy program and with practicing dental therapists. If you want the full scope of dentistry, the dentist path may fit better.
Seeing a dental team at work helps you compare roles. A dental service learning trip is one way to do that. On Smiles Movement trips, students shadow local dental professionals at mobile clinics and help with oral health education for children in partner communities.
Every member of a dental team plays a part in reaching patients. If you want to see that work up close, Smiles Movement can help. Fill out the form or download our brochure to get more information about upcoming programs and trip dates.
Dental therapists provide preventive and routine restorative care, such as fillings, within a scope set by state or tribal law. They work in collaboration with a dentist.
CODA's accreditation standards require at least three academic years of full-time postsecondary instruction or its equivalent.
The ADHA's February 2024 summary lists 13 states plus tribal lands in four states. Laws change, so check your state's current rules.