THE LARGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE HOW DENTAL ASSISTANTS CAN IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE

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Elizabeth Atkins
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1 THE LARGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE HOW CAN IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE

2 CATHY J ROBERTS, EFDA, CDA, COA, CDPMA, MADAA AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT EXPANDED FUNCTION DENTAL ASSISTANT 31 YEARS

3 In 2006, there were approximately 160,000 DENTISTS 120,000 DENTAL HYGIENISTS 280,000+ DENTAL WORKFORCE

7 LONG TERM CAREER

9 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for dental assistants is expected to grow 29 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than average for all occupations.

10 FASTEST GROWING PROFESSION In fact, dental assistants are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the projection period.

11 JOB PROSPECTS Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. In addition to job openings due to employment growth, numerous job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave for other reasons. The BLS projects a need for 362,000 dental assistants in the US in 2016.

arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations,

12 In addition, as dentists workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.

13 Expanded Functions Dental Assistants can place restorations and perform routine intraoral procedures with education and training that allows the dentist and hygienist to see more patients. However, laws vary from state to state on what duties a dental assistant may legally perform. An assistant moving from one state to another must meet different requirements in another state. There are 33 different job titles for dental assistants across the country.

However, laws vary from state to state on what duties a dental assistant may legally perform.

14 Educational requirements vary from state to state and dental assisting schools range from the ADA Accredited Dental Assisting Programs to a weekend course in a dentist office with no set curriculum. On the Job Training does not prepare the assistant to move to another practice or state due to no minimum standard of education.

15 A mandatory national credential is needed to allow each state to recognize the skill and educational level of assistants moving from state to state. Over 2,000 Army dental assistants are trained and provide dental assisting support around the world but when they enter the civilian sector, they must meet individual state requirements.

Over 2,000 Army dental assistants are trained and provide dental assisting support

16 American Dental Assistants Association and The Dental Assisting National Board has compiled minimum core competencies for dental assistants for each level of advanced duties. State by state information and core competencies are listed on DANB website

assistants for each level of advanced duties.

17 CDA-Certified Dental Assistant National credential from Dental Assisting National Board Recognized in 38 states as entry to expanded duties National exam with minimum core competencies. Survey by DANB shows CDA s earn more and stay in the profession as a career.

expanded duties National exam with minimum core competencies.

19 From DANB's 2008 Certificant Salary Survey DANB Certified Assistants earned a median hourly wage of $18.00 in 2008, as compared to $15.62 an hour for non-certified Assistants (according to the BLS).

20 From DANB's 2008 Certificant Salary Survey Those DANB Certificants with 0 to 5 years in practice earned a median hourly wage of $15.00; those with 6 to 10 years of experience earned a median hourly wage of $ Those in practice and 16 to 20 years each hit the $18.00 hourly mark, and those with 21+ years of experience earned a median wage of $19 to $19.69 an hour.

00; those with 6 to 10 years of experience earned a median hourly wage of $16.90.

21 CREDENTIALED ASSISTANT=CAREER DANB Certificants work in the dental assisting profession an average of 16.7 years, and with the same employer for 9.4 years on average. These figures are between two and three times as high as retention in the field and with an employer by non-certified Assistants.

22 Oral Preventive Assistant In 2006, ADA proposed two new workforce models for dental auxiliaries: the Oral Preventive Assistant and the Community Dental Health Coordinator. The OPA model is defined by the ADA as akin to a "prophy tech" in the military. The ADA's OPA curriculum is reflective of 88% of DANB's CDA exam content plus these 5 expanded functions: 1. Application of topical fluoride 2. Pit and fissure sealants 3. Coronal polishing 4. Application of topical anesthetics 5. Scaling for patients with plaque-induced gingivitis

23 The Commission on Dental Accreditation will develop 3-month programs beyond the basic dental assisting curriculum, to teach these 5 duties. To enroll in these OPA programs, dental assistants must either be CDAs or graduates from CODA-accredited dental assisting programs.

24 In 2007, the US Department of Labor, in recognition of the importance of certification as reflecting the required duties in a profession, mandated that Job Corps educational programs align their curricula with national certification programs.

25 States' Rights under the Constitution make it difficult to have one national standard for mandatory education and credentialing. While 38 states recognize or require DANB exams, there are 33 different titles for dental assistants across the country.

26 Disparities Continue to Exist Job titles vary from state to state Creates confusion in the workforce Educational and Credentialing requirements vary among the states for identical tasks Depending upon the pathway a credential is attained in one state, it may or may not be portable to another state.

27 Disparities Continue to Exist Wages for dental assistants far below dental hygienist $18-$20/hour for Dental Assistant $35-$45/hour for Dental Hygienist

28 ACCESS TO CARE UTILIZE THE EXPANDED FUNCTION TO EXPAND NUMBER OF PATIENTS FOR CARE UTILIZE APPLY SEALANTS UTILIZE ORAL PREVENTIVE ASSISTANTS TO APPLY FLUORIDE VARNISH

29 ACCESS TO CARE Mandatory standardized education to meet minimum core competencies for dental assistants Mandatory credentialing

30 THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT! THE ADAA SAYS UTILIZE THE LARGEST PART OF THE DENTAL WORKFORCE!

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos163.htm Dental Assistants

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos163.htm Dental Assistants * Nature of the Work * Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement * Employment * Job Outlook * Projections Data * Earnings * OES Data * Related