NPR reports on why the American Dental Association (ADA) is pushing back on dental therapists “who are popping up around the country as a potentially cost-effective way to deliver oral care to underserved communities.” The ADA cites data which indicates that the number of graduates with dental degrees has increased by 8% in the last few years – just one reason why the association is skeptical about a need for dental therapists. Jane Grover, a senior director at the ADA, who works with the association's Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention, explains: “the ADA does acknowledge the problem of unequal access to dental care, but it's focused on other solutions, like advocating for states to expand Medicaid coverage for adults and encouraging more dentists to accept Medicaid.”
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