Reaching Beyond the Operatory

Dental hygienists are well-equipped to advocate for improving access to care for the nation’s most vulnerable populations.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
After reading this course, the participant should be able to:

1. Identify those populations with the most unmet dental needs.
2. Discuss the role of increasing licensure portability, expanding scope of practice for dental hygienists, instituting reimbursement reform, and using midlevel practitioners in improving access to care.
3. Explain how dental hygienists can advocate for improved access to oral healthcare among vulnerable populations.

This course was issued in January 2021 and expires January 2024. The authors have no commercial conflicts of interest to disclose. This 2 credit hour self-study activity is electronically mediated.