Christy Jo Fogarty, DT, RDH, BSDH, MSOHP

Dental Therapist

Children’s Dental Services

Advanced Dental Therapists (ADTs) Definition Training and testing Children’s Dental Services (CDS) background Demographics of those I have served Financial model: Cost/Benefit analysis Finances in practice Future of ADTs and DTs

CDS staff providing care in schools

Dental Therapist:

-Are required to complete a accredited program ending with a bachelors or masters degree and will always have indirect supervision.

Advanced Dental Therapist:

-Are required to have completed a accredited program ending with a masters degree.

-Currently the only program that teaches advanced dental therapy requires that students are already experienced dental hygienists, who are licensed and practicing in the profession.

-After the completion of 2,000 hours

of work under indirect supervision

ADT’s can work under general

supervision.

Thus, can work in the field, much

like dentists and collaborative

practice hygienists. Work in a similar

setting as pictured here.

ADTs study and train for 27 months at Metropolitan State University. ADT’s are trained, in their scope of practice, to the level of a dentist.

ADT must enter into a collaborative management agreement with a licensed dentist in Minnesota.

A collaborating dentist must be licensed and practicing in Minnesota.

The collaborating dentist accepts responsibility for all services authorized and performed by the advanced dental therapist pursuant to the management agreement.

The clinical testing that DT’s/ADT’s take through CRDT’s is the exact same testing DDS’s take.

•Provides dental care across Minnesota, in both urban and rural regions.

•Is primary provider of school- and Head Start-based portable care at over 200 sites across state

CDS accepts all forms of public and commercial insurance, and has a zero-based sliding scale for income eligible families.

CDS provides a full range of comprehensive dental care, including endodontia and hospital-based services.

CDS provides specially targeted care programs to those who are blind, deaf, disabled, and autistic, and provides culturally targeted and translated care to the East African, Latino, Southeast Asian and Native American communities.

•Provided care to 28,000 patients in 2011. Provides care to children birth to age 21 and pregnant women.

Since December of 2011, I have provided care to almost 900 patients.

Demographics of care: 11% have needed emergency care 72% of the patients travelled more than 10 miles

to receive care. The greatest distance traveled by a patient served by the ADT was 500 miles.

2% of the patients seen by the ADT required hospital based care.

80% of patients had public insurance and 13% were uninsured.

30% were African American, 9% were East African, 37% were Hispanic, 18% were Asian and 6% were Caucasian.

Cost-Benefit Analysis based on 1 ADT providing services covered under the ADT statute for 40 hours/week in a public health dental clinic.

Production Summary May 2012 (CDS began tracking ADT productivity in March. My productivity has consistently risen since that time.)

I am continuing to work to reach my 2,000 hours requirement, expected to hit in November, 2012. Once this has been met, I will go into areas identified as Dental Professional Shortage Areas to address the greatest unmet needs in Minnesota. CDS has hired one other ADT, Jamee Rosell, who is working towards the same goal.

CDS is seeking potential scholarship recipients in Greater Minnesota who will work, live and serve these underserved areas as ADTs.

Several other states have been working towards legislation to allow mid-level practitioners to expand the dental workforce and open access to care.

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=61628

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=61628

http://www.normandale.mnscu.edu/academics/deans/pdfs/ADEAPresentation1.pdf

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=150a.105

http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/Portals/3/

Licensing/Dental%20Therapist/ADT-CMA%2012-4

10approved.pdf

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=150a.105

Any questions?

Christy Jo FogartyDental Therapist

Children’s Dental Services612-867-8875

cfogarty@childrensdentalservices.org

Sarah Wovcha, J.D., M.P.HExecutive DirectorIn-House Counsel

Children’s Dental Services612-636-1577

swovcha@childrensdentalservices.org