If Fort Hays State University in Kansas gets its wish, the university will be adding a new dental degree to its curricular offering: registered dental practitioner. If you’ve never heard of an RDH, you’re not alone. The university is proposing the degree as a potential solution for the state’s severe lack of licensed dentists. But offering the degree isn’t as simple as adding a new curriculum.
Kansas state law would need to be changed in order to allow graduates to practice. Currently, only licensed dentists can perform certain procedures, but a new bill in the state Senate aims to change that. The proposed legislation would allow registered dental practitioners to work under the supervision of a licensed dentist, and would perform basic dental work, like examinations, fillings and cleanings.
The proposed four-year degree would have strong career appeal for graduates of dental assistant schools and dental hygienists who are already working in the field and are looking for a career advancement path. At the same time, new practitioners would help alleviate the dentist shortages that have arisen in the majority of counties in Kansas.
Everyone isn’t welcoming the proposed new degree with open arms, though. The majority of dentists in Kansas oppose the legislation, saying they believe it would jeopardize the quality of care patients receive. The Kansas Dental Association, which represents about 75% of the state’s 1,500 dentists, is also fighting to defeat the bill.
Laws governing what non-dentist practitioners can do vary by state, and a few states allow dental assistants to perform any task delegated by a licensed dentist. The proposed Kansas model is already in place in Alaska. Kansas dentists who oppose the new degree say that it would create a two-tiered dental service model in the state, with dentist services available only to those who can afford premium care.
Others who support the bill argue that the state needs to take action to ensure that quality dental care is available to all state residents, regardless of where they live. By adding registered dental practitioners, known as dental therapists in some states, supporters argue that the state’s dentists can safely expand their practices and oversee the dental care of more patients.
One thing everyone can agree on is that there aren’t enough dental professionals in the field today, and that is primarily responsible for the move to introduce mid-level dental practitioners to the market. Supporters argue that registered dental practitioners can help alleviate critical shortages of dental care providers, saying that thirteen counties in Kansas have no practicing dentists at all. By placing registered dental practitioners in severely underserved areas, the state can help deliver routine dental care to the most rural parts of the state.
That isn’t swaying most dentists, who say that they’re being squeezed from all sides. According to a new survey released by Baird, dentists throughout the country are reporting a decline in the number of patient visits, and a decline in the number of services patients are requesting. According to the survey, 67% of dentists reported that their revenues this year are flat or declining when compared to last year’s numbers, and 74% of dentists said that their patient volumes have declined, compared to last year.
Dentists in Kansas argue that adding a lower-cost, mid-range provider to the mix will only ensure that fewer dental practices will remain financially viable. Supporters counter this argument by saying that only about 25% of dentists in Kansas accept Medicaid, leaving a large portion of the state’s low-income population without affordable dental services.
A recent survey by the WK Kellogg Foundation shows that more than 40% of US households have at least one member who has put off dental care for cost reasons. The Foundation is working with providers in Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington State to promote the use of dental therapists as a response to a growing healthcare provider shortage.