National Indian Health Board Welcomes National Coalition of Dentists 
for Health Equity to 
National Partnership for Dental Therapy

Coalition of dentists joins partnership dedicated to elevating visibility and broad, multi-sectorial support for dental therapy
October 1, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the National Indian Health Board celebrates the launch of The National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity (DHE). The coalition is the third co-chair of the National Partnership for Dental Therapy. Together with DHE and Community Catalyst, the National Indian Health Board stands as a leader in the effort to expand dental therapy nationwide.
 
Dental therapists, focused providers who specialize in routine preventative and basic restorative care, have operated successfully in Alaska Native communities for 15 years. As more Tribes and states learn about dental therapy's strong record of success in Tribal communities in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, support continues to grow.
 
For years, the National Indian Health Board's Tribal Oral Health Initiative has provided outreach, education, and technical assistance, serving as a resource for Tribes seeking to bring dental therapy to their own communities.
 
"NIHB is pleased to welcome DHE to the fight for dental therapy," said NIHB Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.  "As Tribes continue to assert our sovereign right to employ dental therapists, the voice of dentists inside and outside of the Indian health system will play a vital role. We have seen time and again that dentists are some of the strongest advocates for Tribal dental therapy, and we at NIHB are eager to work with DHE and Community Catalyst as co-chairs of the National Partnership for Dental Therapy to ensure every community has access to oral health care."
 
DHE will serve as an invaluable partner in this effort as it seeks to elevate the voices of dentists from across the county to advance health equity through support of evidence-based practices like dental therapy.
 
To learn more about the National Partnership for Dental Therapy, visit www.dentaltherapy.org.
 
If you are a dentist working in an Indian Health Service, Tribal, or Urban Indian Health facility and want to learn more about dental therapy, please contact Brett Weber, NIHB Congressional Relations Manager, at [email protected].
Created by the Tribes in 1972, the National Indian Health Board exists to advocate on behalf of all 573 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes to ensure the fulfillment of the trust responsibility to deliver health and public health services as assured through treaties, and reaffirmed in legislation, executive orders and supreme court cases.
National Indian Health Board
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Washington, DC 20003
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