WORKFORCE


Missouri Office of Dental Health: Committed to Supporting the State’s Oral Health Workforce


T


he shortage of dental hygienists and dental assistants, particularly in rural and underserved commu- nities, is an inarguable point. The


ADA HPI 2025 Dentist Workforce Report1 points to a shift in the dentist workforce to a younger, female demographic. The report also suggests dentists are choosing urban over rural settings to begin their careers. If dentists are being drawn to these areas, it is likely that dental hygienists and dental as- sistants are too. The Office of Dental Health (ODH) remains committed to the oral health needs of all Missourians. The following out- lines ODH’s current and planned activities to support the state’s oral health workforce.


PILOT PROJECT DELIVERING ORAL HEALTH CARE TO NURSING HOME RESIDENTS


The pilot project began in September 2022, with funding support from a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Grant. The project extends “disease control” interventional oral health care to eligible residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) using telehealth-medi- ated supervision for the dental hygienists and expanded function dental assistants (EFDA) delivering onsite care. The goal is to iden- tify opportunities to expand access to care through workforce efficiency. The project will also assess the positive clinical out- comes, such as a reduction in nursing home acquired pneumonia (NHAP), for residents who undergo the infection control phase of the pilot project. The project runs through August 2026, although a final report is due to the Missouri Dental Board by December 31, 2025. To date, 319 residents have been seen as part of the pilot program. Data is under analysis to determine the number of resi- dents who have completed infection control. There have been no reported adverse events.


HIGH SCHOOL DENTAL ASSISTANT TRAINING PROGRAM


In Fall 2023, two dental assistant training programs launched, offered through Pike/ Lincoln Technical Career Center in Eolia and Lewis and Clark Career Center in St. Charles. ODH received a workforce grant from Delta Dental of Missouri to support these pro- grams. ODH worked with the career centers and Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a 10-month educational pilot program for high school juniors and seniors to enable students to graduate with a dental assisting certificate and complete the Missouri Test of Basic Dental Assisting Skills (Exam). This created the opportunity for immediate employment and entry into the oral health workforce after high school graduation. Additionally, if stu- dents passed the Exam, they could enroll in EFDA trainings, helping to create a pipeline for further advancement for individuals into dental hygiene or dentistry careers. Final data from the program is being collected. ODH is working to expand this pilot project to other career centers across the state with a focus in rural and underserved communities.


DENTAL HYGIENE: TRAINING, RETENTION & EFFICIENCY


It takes an entire team of oral health pro- fessionals to deliver high quality care to patients. The strain on the workforce due to dental hygienist shortages creates a challeng- ing environment for many dentists and their dental practices. Through recent workforce development funding from Delta Dental of Missouri, ODH is looking at three different ways to address this burden: efficiency, reten- tion and training.


Efficiency: ODH is critically assessing lessons learned from the LTCF pilot project to iden- tify opportunities for workforce efficiencies with the utilization of telehealth mediated supervision or teledentistry.


Retention: Prior to September 1, 2025, the state did not have student loan repayment options for dental hygienists. Dental hygien- ists working in an underserved area only had access to federal loan repayment programs — mainly National Health Service Corps — which are not always easy to access for this profession.


CONTINUED NEXT PAGE ISSUE 3 | FALL 2025 | focus 29


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