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Developing And Deploying A New Member Of The Dental Team: A Pediatric Oral Health Therapist, David A. Nash

Oral Health Science Faculty Publications

There are inadequate numbers of dentists able and willing to treat America's children, specifically children from low income and minority populations. This has led to the well-publicized disparities in oral health among children. In the early part of the 20^th century New Zealand faced a significant problem with oral disease among its children and introduced a School Dental Service, staffed by allied dental professionals with two years' training in caring for the teeth of children, "school dental nurses." A significant number of countries have adopted the model. This article reviews the history of attempts to develop such an approach …