NEW YORK PARTNERSHIP FOR DENTAL THERAPY

Newsletter | September 2026

Dear Friend,

This month brought the story of a mother who has seen her children face barriers to dental care, as well as webinars and resources from founding members.

As a mother to three sons with disabilities, Amie has faced countless barriers when finding oral health care for her children. Her family has experienced the mental and physical pain that come from waitlists and lack of options. Hear her story and why she supports dental therapy.

Waitlists for Dental Care Harm Children

A Mother's Perspective: Why I Support Dental Therapy

Without Care, Pain Persists

Why I'm Pursuing a Career in

Dental Therapy: Jory's Story

Jory is a registered dental hygienist from Schenectady, New York. He has made the decision to pursue a Master's in Dental Therapy with the hopes of returning to his hometown to expand access to care.

However, until New York authorizes dental therapy, he will be unable to treat the patients in his hometown who desperately need the care.

Learn more about Jory on our blog.

The Patient that Needed a Dental Therapist

Check out our YouTube playlist and subscribe to our channel for more videos on why New York needs dental therapy coming soon!

Recent Webinars: Recordings and Resources

Mapping Oral Health Needs Across New York State



Presented by the Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center and Schuyler Center. Recording coming soon!

This webinar shares findings from the 2024 New York State Oral Health Needs Assessment, highlighting communities with the greatest oral health needs and barriers to care. The webinar explores how these findings can help guide policies and workforce strategies to improve access to oral health services, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations.

For more about the report, visit the Schuyler Center’s Future Oral Health Workforce project page.

Dental Therapy in Community Health Centers: What Your Team Needs to Know

Presented by Community Catalyst

Community health centers are an essential piece of the health care safety net, yet face growing challenges in providing dental care. As coverage losses push more people toward health centers, demand for sliding scale dental care is expected to climb — even as health center budgets grow more constrained. Dental therapists can be one part of the answer. Licensed members of the dental team who provide routine preventive and restorative care under a dentist's supervision, dental therapists help health centers serve more patients, shorten wait times, and bring care into community settings, all while making tight budgets work. Fourteen states now authorize dental therapy and that number is growing, so whether or not your state is one of them, it's worth understanding the model.

This webinar serves as a primer for health center leadership, dental directors, dentists, dental hygienists, and clinical and administrative staff and features dental therapists practicing in community health centers, including a clinical leader who oversees oral health services at her health center. This webinar covers what dental therapists are trained and licensed to do, how supervision works, how health centers have integrated them into care teams, pathways into the profession and the operational and financial impact of hiring.

We invite you to sign on as a member of the New York Partnership for Dental Therapy. Membership means a shared commitment to supporting the authorization of dental therapists to practice in New York State; it is not an endorsement of specific legislation.  

Together, we can take strides toward ensuring that all New Yorkers can access the oral health care they need, no matter their income or zip code. Click here to see our list of current members.

Questions? Contact us at nydentaltherapy@scaany.org.

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