Implementing Community-Driven Strategies to Transform Oral Healthcare Access
From classrooms to mobile clinics, public health dental hygienists are reshaping how preventive care reaches underserved communities. While these strategies show promise for improving outcomes, some dentists remain opposed to expanding dental hygienists’ scope of practice or introducing midlevel practitioners.
In a recent article in the American Journal of Managed Care, author Giuliana Grossi makes a strong case for expanding the role of public health dental hygienists in order to ensure more Americans get the oral healthcare they need. Public health dental hygienists focus on prevention-based community strategies to improve outcomes and reduce the long-term burden of dental disease.
When preventive messages are introduced early, in schools, daycares, ob/gyn offices, and community centers, families build habits before disease takes hold. Education delivered where people already gather improves consistency and strengthens oral health literacy across generations.
Schools are an important hub for preventive services. Screenings, fluoride applications, and oral health instruction in these settings remove common barriers such as transportation challenges and missed appointments. Reaching children where they learn creates reliable access points for early intervention.
Mobile clinics and cross-sector partnerships are another essential tool, particularly in regions with little or no provider access. Collaborations among dental teams, medical providers, and social service agencies help establish dental homes where none previously existed, stabilizing preventive care through coordinated outreach. However, this model is only feasible in states where dental hygienists can practice independently from dentists, such as California.
Many public health leaders point to the expanded use of dental hygienists in community-based roles as a way to strengthen the preventive workforce. However, organized dentistry does not typically support expanding the scope of practice for dental hygienists or introducing midlevel practitioners, citing concerns about patient safety, care standards, and oversight. Click here to read more.
