How Dental Teams Can Close the Gap in Transgender Oral Health
As of February 2025, the transgender population makes up roughly 2.3 million or 1% of the United States population.1 As this population grows, oral health professionals…
Community Health Workers Are Making a Difference in Improving Oral Healthcare Access
Ongoing disparities in oral health remain a significant public health concern.1 Community health workers (CHWs) play a key role in bridging the gap between healthcare systems…
Teledentistry Offers Benefits to Both Patients and Clinicians
In 2024, the Health Resources and Services Administration reported that approximately 60 million Americans live in dental health professional shortage areas, representing 17.4% of the…
Fact vs Fiction in Licensure Portability
Licensure compacts effectively address oral health workforce shortages by enhancing professional mobility. Currently, two competing licensure compacts are available for dentistry and dental hygiene: the…
Creating Autism-Friendly Dental Spaces
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition characterized by challenges in communication, behavior, social interaction across multiple contexts, and engaging in repetitive patterns…
A Closer Look at Competing Compacts
The United States is grappling with a shortage of dental hygiene practitioners, a challenge that has worsened in the wake of the pandemic. In the…
Improving Mobility Through Licensure Compacts
License portability is important to many professionals, including dental hygienists. Crossing state lines to obtain employment and improve access to oral healthcare is an obstacle…
Strategies for Managing Patients With Special Needs and Disabilities
Through behavioral techniques and treatment modifications, this population can successfully receive much-needed dental care. By Nancy Kuy, RDA, RDH, M…
Breaking Down Barriers to Care for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder
By Darlene Jones, RDH, MPA and Colleen Rolland, BS Characterized. by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed (DSM-V), as the presence of impairments…