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Page CP, Koday M, Zamierowski AM, Weidner A, Hawes EM. Postgraduate education to expand access to dental care: A roadmap to community dental program development. J Dent Educ 2023; 87:1219-1225. [PMID: 37171027 DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Evidence indicates an increasing shortage of dentists in communities across the United States with potentially significant implications for oral health, as well as overall health and well-being. One strategy to increase access to dental care in rural and underserved communities is community-based postgraduate dental training. However, developing new dental programs requires navigating complex accreditation, financial and community governance, among other, barriers. The Roadmap for Teaching Health Center Dental Program Development presents a framework that guides institutions through the successive steps of developing new postgraduate training programs from identification of need to ultimate maintenance and sustainability. The tool assists programs in anticipating and understanding requirements, reducing time, expense, and uncertainty. While the framework was developed for community-based programs, the steps are applicable to postgraduate programs sponsored by academic institutions as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristen P Page
- The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mark Koday
- Northwest Dental Residency, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Yakima, Washington, USA
| | - Alyssa M Zamierowski
- The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amanda Weidner
- University of Washington Family Medicine Residency Network, Seattle, USA, Washington
- Association of Departments of Family Medicine, Leawood, Kansas, USA
| | - Emily M Hawes
- The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- The University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Hsu P, Hayes-Bautista DE. Latino dentists in the U.S. Census from 1980 to 2019: Implications for dental care access. J Public Health Dent 2023; 83:87-93. [PMID: 36651134 DOI: 10.1111/jphd.12554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study describes the supply of Latino dentists in the United States from 1980 to 2019, as tabulated by the Census. The number of Latino dentists per 100,000 Latino population was compared to the number of non-Hispanic White (NHW) dentists per 100,000 NHW population. These four-decade comparisons were made for the entire country as well as the five states having the largest Latino populations. METHODS Data from the decennial census and the American Community Survey were used to identify the nationwide population, the number of dentists, and their respective Spanish-language abilities, stratified by race/ethnic group (Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites). RESULTS In 1980, there were only 18 Latino dentists for every 100,000 Latino population in the entire nation, compared to 70 NHW dentists per 100,000 NHW population. While there was an increase to 21 Latino dentists per 100,000 in 1990, the supply remained virtually the same over this almost 40-year period, ending back at 18 per 100,000 in 2019. In comparison, there were about four times as many non-Hispanic White dentists as Latino dentists. This national discrepancy was also reflected in the five states that were evaluated. Similarly, Latino dentists were far more likely to speak Spanish than NHW dentists at both the national and state levels. CONCLUSIONS The Latino dentist supply, already inadequate in 1980, has remained virtually unchanged over the past almost 40 years. The authors believe that this deficiency will have profound consequences, and recommend that initiatives be undertaken to increase the number of Latino dentists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Hsu
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David E Hayes-Bautista
- Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Bates T, Jura M, Werts M, Kottek A, Munson B, Vujicic M, Mertz EA. Trends in postgraduate dental training in the United States. J Dent Educ 2022; 86:1124-1132. [PMID: 36165263 DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines the individual, educational, and policy factors that predict dentists pursuing postgraduate dental (PGD) training. METHODS Individual dentist records from the 2017 American Dental Association Masterfile were linked with pre-doctoral training attributes and state-level dental policy factors. Generalized logistic models, adjusted for individual, educational, and policy factors, were used to predict: (1) attending any PGD program, and (2) primary (i.e., advanced general practice, pediatrics, or dental public health, per the Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA]) versus specialty care. RESULTS The majority of new PGD residency slots (77%) were in primary care. Women held 56% of primary care slots; men held 62% of specialty slots. Individual characteristics that predicted PGD primary care training included being Black, Hispanic, Asian, or other race; being male or older age reduced the odds. Pre-doctoral school characteristics that predicted PGD primary care training included having a pre-doctoral HRSA grant, affiliation with an academic medical center, and being a historically Black college/university; being a private school or in a small metro area lowered the odds. At the policy level, the strongest predictors of attending PGD primary care training are a residency requirement in the state you currently practice in and federal graduate medical education (GME) investment per residency slot. CONCLUSION Pursuing PGD training is variable based on the race/ethnicity/gender of the dentist. Federal investments in pre-doctoral dental education and GME can drive equity, as they significantly increase the odds that dentists will go on to PGD training, as do state licensure requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Bates
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Healthforce Center, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Matthew Jura
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Healthforce Center, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miranda Werts
- Healthforce Center, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Aubri Kottek
- Healthforce Center, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Bradley Munson
- Health Policy Insitute, American Dental Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marko Vujicic
- Health Policy Insitute, American Dental Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Mertz
- Healthforce Center, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA
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Mertz EA, Bates T, Kottek A, Jura M, Werts M, Munson B, Vujicic M. Practice patterns of postgraduate trained dentists in the United States. J Dent Educ 2022; 86:1133-1143. [PMID: 36165262 DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Postgraduate dental (PGD) primary care training has grown significantly. This study examines the individual, educational, community, and policy factors that predict practice patterns of PGD-trained dentists. STUDY DESIGN Individual dentist records from the 2017 American Dental Association Masterfile, with indicators of Medicaid participation and practice in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), were linked to postdoctoral training, community/practice location, and state policy factors. Generalized logistic models, adjusted for these factors, were used to predict PGD-trained dentists: (1a) serving Medicaid children, (1b) accepting new Medicaid patients, and (2) working in an FQHC. RESULTS Individual attributes that predicted serving Medicaid children included all race/gender combinations (vs. White females), and foreign-trained dentists and contractors/employees/associates (vs. practice owners). Black women are most likely to work in an FQHC. Residency attributes that predicted serving Medicaid children and working in an FQHC were Health Resources and Services Administration postdoctoral funding and being community based. Dentists practicing in rural or high-poverty communities were more likely to serve Medicaid children and work at FQHCs. States with higher levels of graduate medical education investment, higher Medicaid rates, and more generous adult dental Medicaid benefits increased the likelihood of serving Medicaid children, while states with more expansive adult dental Medicaid benefits increased the likelihood of working in an FQHC. CONCLUSION Federal training investment in PGD education combined with Medicaid payment and coverage policies can strongly impact access to dental care for vulnerable populations. Yet, oral health equity cannot be achieved without increasing dentist workforce diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Mertz
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA.,Healthforce Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Timothy Bates
- Healthforce Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Aubri Kottek
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA.,Healthforce Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Matthew Jura
- Healthforce Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miranda Werts
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA.,Healthforce Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Bradley Munson
- Health Policy Institute at the American Dental Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marko Vujicic
- Health Policy Institute at the American Dental Association, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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