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NEW YORK PARTNERSHIP FOR DENTAL THERAPY
Newsletter | June 2026
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Dear Friend,
Welcome to the first newsletter from the New York Partnership for Dental Therapy—a statewide coalition working to authorize dental therapists to practice in New York! Dental therapists are a proven solution: credentialed providers already practicing safely in 14 other states who extend the reach of dental practices into the communities that need care most. We're building momentum to make dental therapy a reality in New York, and we're glad you're with us.
| | Missed Our Dental Therapy 101 Webinar? The Recording Is Now Available! | If you were unable to join us live, the recording of our Dental Therapy 101 webinar is now posted on the Partnership website. | | | The session provides an accessible introduction to dental therapy: what dental therapists do, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and why dental therapy is a common-sense solution to oral health access gaps in New York. It is a strong starting point for anyone who is new to the issue or looking for a resource to share with colleagues and community members. Click here to view the recording. Slides can be found here. | |
Upcoming Events
June 30: Scoping Review Webinar
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
🔗 Register
Our next webinar takes place on Wednesday, June 30. This session will walk through the evidence base for dental therapy, drawing on a comprehensive scoping review of the research on dental therapist safety, effectiveness, and community impact. Whether you are deepening your own knowledge or preparing to make the case to others, this webinar will give you solid, well-sourced information to work with.
July 20: An Introduction to Dental Therapy Education Programs
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM
🔗 Register
Dental therapy is already training the next generation of oral health providers at institutions across the country, and we want you to meet two of them. Join us for a webinar featuring educators from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and Skagit Valley College, two programs that have built dental therapy training from the ground up. Together, they will walk us through how their programs are structured, who their students are, and what national education standards mean for the profession’s future. Whether you are new to dental therapy or already following New York’s effort to authorize the profession, this conversation offers a grounded look at what dental therapy education looks like in practice and what it can mean for communities that need more oral health providers.
Registration and details are available on our Upcoming Events page. We hope to see you there.
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New Blog Posts
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A Healthy Smile Is Just the Beginning, By Abbe Kovicak, Brightside Up, Inc. — Dental therapy can help provide access to the oral health care that young children need for healthy growth and development.
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Dental Therapy is a Matter of Health Equity, by Kate Breslin — Every person deserves good health care but too many New Yorkers cannon get basic dental care
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What is Dental Therapy and Why Does New York Need Dental Therapists — For millions of New Yorkers, getting a dental appointment isn’t as simple as picking up the phone and the consequences go far beyond a toothache.
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Ask a Dentist: How Will Dental Therapy Impove Dental Care in New York State, By Dr. Tony Mendicino Jr., Chief Dental Officer, Finger Lakes Community Health — When New York State opens the door for dental therapists to provide care, it will benefit patients, providers, communities, and health centers.
| | The Partnership for Dental Therapy is fortunate to work alongside organizations across New York State that share a commitment to oral health equity. This section is a space for partner voices. Each issue, we will feature an update, resource, or perspective from one of the organizations in our coalition. | | |
Common Ground Health: Building the Future Oral Health Workforce in New York
Our partners at Common Ground Health, now part of the combined entity comprised of Common Ground Health, Finger Lakes Performing Provider System, and Rochester Regional Health Information Organization, recently published a piece on the oral health workforce challenges facing New York and the solutions gaining traction across the state.
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Common Ground Health has been engaged in oral health access work in the Finger Lakes region for over a decade, and their article draws a direct line from local experience to statewide need. They highlight findings from the 2024 Oral Health Needs Assessment showing that 43% of New York respondents reported major barriers to care, and point to the consequences of those gaps: untreated conditions that worsen over time, and nearly two million emergency department visits nationally each year for non-traumatic dental issues.
The piece describes the range of approaches underway to strengthen the oral health workforce, from community health worker training to the recent expansion of dental hygienist collaborative practice authority in New York. It also makes clear why those steps, while important, are not sufficient on their own. As Melissa Wendland, director of strategic initiatives at Common Ground Health, puts it: prevention only goes so far if people still cannot get treatment.
That conviction is part of what brought Common Ground Health into the coalition working to advance dental therapy in New York. The article includes a strong description of what dental therapists do and why the evidence from 14 states supports their effectiveness in reaching communities with the greatest unmet need. It also highlights the legislative advocacy work underway in Albany and federal advocacy through the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network.
Read the full article on the Common Ground Health website: Building the Future Oral Health Workforce in New York.
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Dental therapy in the United States as a public health imperative: Perspectives from the front lines
A newly published article in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry makes a clear, evidence-based case for dental therapy as a public health necessity, synthesizing historical, legislative, and workforce literature while elevating the voices of dental therapists themselves. The authors trace today's oral health disparities back to the structural separation of dentistry from medicine in 1840, arguing that dental therapists are closing that gap by delivering community-based, preventive, and culturally responsive care in rural, Tribal, and underserved urban settings.
The article profiles practitioners in Alaska, Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, and Oregon whose work has yielded shorter wait times, stronger patient trust, and greater appointment availability — including one therapist who reaches migrant farmworkers and domestic violence shelters by mobile van, and another who built a school-based fluoride program that transformed her community's relationship with dental care.
Now authorized in 14 states and practiced in the U.S. for more than 20 years, dental therapy has a clear evidence base — and the authors conclude it is effective, safe, and urgently needed.
| | Kuntzelman, K.A., Jordan, A., Branca, E., & Cawston Colville, A.A. (2026). Dental therapy in the United States as a public health imperative: Perspectives from the front lines. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 86(Suppl. 1), 72-75. | | Know the Data: Schuyler Center's Oral Health Workforce Resources | | |
The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy maintains a dedicated Oral Health Workforce webpage that brings together the research, reports, and data tools produced through the Future Oral Health Workforce Project. It is a valuable resource for anyone working to make the case for dental therapy in New York.
Key Materials include:
Additional issue briefs address teledentistry, early childhood oral health, fluoride varnish access, and preventive care for children and pregnant women. The page is updated as new resources are released and is a strong reference point for coalition partners, advocates, and anyone preparing testimony or outreach materials.
| | Share Your Story: Barriers to Dental Care in New York State | | |
Personal stories are among the most powerful tools we have for making the case that New York needs dental therapists. We are collecting stories from individuals, families, and community members who have experienced barriers to dental care, whether that means long waits, geographic distance, cost, limited availability of providers who accept Medicaid, or simply being unable to get an appointment when care was needed.
If you have a story to share, or know someone who does, please reach out to us at nydentaltherapy@scaany.org. All stories will be handled with care and used only with permission. Your experience can help decision-makers understand what is at stake for real people.
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