NIIOH Executive Director Anita Glicken was an invited speaker for the National Oral Health Conference session Federal Opportunities to Support Dental Therapy on April 15, 2024. The session, hosted and moderated by Laura Brannon of Community Catalyst, highlighted strategies that the federal government could use to increase the number of dental therapists working in underserved communities. Ms. Glicken presented an overview of work she led while Chair of HRSA’s Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD). The ACTPCMD provides advice and recommendations concerning policy and program development to Secretary Becerra and ranking members of congressional budget committees that decide Title VII appropriations and other matters of significance concerning medicine and dentistry activities under section 747 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act. The committee’s 19th report entitled, Supporting Dental Therapy through Title VII Training Programs: A Meaningful Strategy for Promoting Equitable Oral Health Care, provides background on the dental therapy profession followed by committee recommendations for Title VII legislative, funding, and program support, as well as outcomes and evaluation to inform future investment and ensure accountability. Brett Weber of the National Indian Health Board also presented on the growth and impact of dental therapy programs in sovereign nations.
Click here to view the slides from this session.