Dental Therapy in the United States as a Public Health Imperative: Perspectives From the Front Lines

Key Points

• The aim is to analyze the barriers to national acceptance and implementation of dental therapy as a public health solution.
• Evaluation of institutional barriers to dental therapy implementation
• Analysis of community responses to dental therapy
• Review of evidence supporting dental therapy effectiveness
• Institutional opposition significantly hampers the acceptance of dental therapy
• Dental therapy demonstrates effectiveness in addressing oral health disparities
• Community-driven approaches show promise in improving access to dental care