About Dental Therapy
Dental therapy means better access to dental care for millions of New Yorkers.
Dental therapists are credentialed mid-level providers who bring preventive and restorative care to communities that have long gone without adequate access.
The Problem
Millions of New Yorkers Lack Access to Basic Dental Care
Access to quality oral health care is essential for overall wellbeing, yet millions of people in New York face significant barriers to receiving even basic dental services. Low-income families, communities of color, rural communities, and people with disabilities are disproportionately affected — often going without needed care until conditions become severe and costly.
The Solution
Dental Therapy Is a Proven, Effective Answer
Dental therapy is a well-rounded solution to access problems that presents real opportunities to address oral health equity and advance economic justice. Dental therapists extend the reach of dental practices into the communities that need care most — and fourteen other states have already proven it works.
What Are Dental Therapists?
A New Kind of Provider – Filling a Critical Gap
Dental therapists are mid-level oral health care providers – a model used successfully around the world and in 14 U.S. states. They are trained to deliver the preventive and routine restorative care that makes up the vast majority of dental needs.
By practicing under collaborative agreements with dentists, dental therapists can bring care directly to the communities that need it most: rural towns, low-income urban neighborhoods, community health centers, and schools. They don't replace dentists – they extend what dentists can do.
New York is one of only a handful of states that has not yet authorized dental therapists. With millions of New Yorkers lacking access to basic dental care, the time to change that is now.
Mid-Level Oral Health Providers
Dental therapists are licensed professionals trained to deliver care between the scope of a dental hygienist and a dentist — including both preventive and restorative services.
Preventive & Restorative Services
They can perform exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, simple extractions, and patient education — the services most needed in underserved communities.
Collaborative Practice Model
Dental therapists work under agreements with supervising dentists and can reach patients in remote or underserved settings, extending the dentist's reach without replacing them.
Proven in 14 Other States
Minnesota, Alaska, Oregon, and 11 other states have already authorized dental therapists, with strong evidence of safety, quality outcomes, and improved access to care.
How Can Dental Therapists Help?
Better Access. Better Outcomes. For Millions of New Yorkers.
Dental therapists can dramatically expand access to care for the millions of New Yorkers who currently go without. Here's how:
Reaching Underserved Communities
Dental therapists can be embedded in community health centers, schools, and rural clinics — bringing care directly to neighborhoods where dentists are scarce and transportation is a significant barrier.
Addressing Chronic Health Conditions
Poor oral health is linked to diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy complications. Dental therapists provide the routine care that helps patients manage these conditions and stay healthier overall.
Preventing Costly ER Visits
By providing early preventive and restorative care, dental therapists reduce the untreated decay and preventable emergency room visits for tooth pain that cost New York State millions each year.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Therapy
What is a dental therapist?
A dental therapist is a licensed oral health professional trained to provide preventive and routine restorative dental care. Dental therapists fill a role between dental hygienists and dentists, extending the reach of dental practices so that more patients can receive the care they need — especially in communities that currently go without.
What services can dental therapists provide?
Dental therapists can perform examinations, X-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, simple extractions, and patient education. The specific scope of practice varies by state, but these core services cover the vast majority of routine dental needs in underserved communities.
Is dental therapy safe?
Yes. Dental therapists have practiced safely in Minnesota, Alaska, and other states for over a decade, and have been proven safe internationally for far longer. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that the quality of care provided by dental therapists is equivalent to that of dentists for the services within their scope.
How are dental therapists supervised?
Dental therapists work under collaborative practice agreements with licensed dentists. Depending on the state, they may practice on-site with a dentist present, or under standing orders that allow them to serve patients in remote and underserved settings. Dentists retain oversight of treatment plans and can consult on complex cases.
Where are dental therapists currently practicing?
Dental therapists are authorized to practice in 14 states, including Minnesota, Alaska, Maine, Oregon, Arizona, Vermont, and Washington. Internationally, dental therapists have practiced safely for over 70 years in countries like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
How would dental therapy benefit New York?
New York has some of the worst dental access disparities in the nation. Millions of New Yorkers — particularly in rural areas, low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color — cannot access basic dental care. Authorizing dental therapists would extend the reach of dental practices into these communities, reduce emergency room visits for dental pain, and address deep-rooted oral health inequities.
What training do dental therapists receive?
Dental therapists complete graduate-level clinical training programs, typically two to three years after completing undergraduate prerequisites. Programs include both rigorous classroom instruction and extensive supervised clinical hours. Dental therapists must also pass national and state licensing examinations before they can practice.
How does dental therapy advance health equity?
Dental therapists are uniquely positioned to serve the communities most affected by oral health disparities. Many dental therapists come from the communities they serve, speak the languages of their patients, and are trained specifically to work in underserved settings. By expanding the dental workforce where it's needed most, dental therapy helps ensure that everyone — regardless of income, zip code, or background — can access the oral health care they deserve.