Dental/Oral Health
​Publications

Addressing dental workforce challenges at the state level through financial incentives, educational innovation, and teledentistry initiatives

To address access to dental care and oral health inequity issues comprehensively this project aimed to 1) develop, test and demonstrate a community-based recruitment of oral health workforce capacity in severely underserved areas of Oregon, 2) develop a retention toolkit with the potential to increase the longevity of providers in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (DHPSAs), 3) expand the pipeline of oral health professionals willing to practice in rural underserved counties of Oregon through experiential learning, and 4) demonstrate that a teledentistry model would be applicable in severely underserved areas.

Dental workforce wage and job counts data by state.

​The dashboard below represents wages and job counts (or supply) of dental hygienists, dental assistants, and general practitioner dentists in each state for the years 2001-2022. 

Dental workforce by age, gender, race and ethnicity, and more.

The interactive dashboard provides the profile of your state's dentist workforce

Training a rural oral health workforce: Effects of rural background on dentist practice choice​

This study assesses outcomes of the first 10 years of the RIDE program. The hypothesis tested is that rural background is the most important predictor of long-term rural dental practice.​
Picture
Click on image to view publication.
Picture
Click on image to view publication.
Picture
Click on image to view publication.

New Study Highlights Challenges in Iowa's Medicaid Dental Access 
​

Dr. Reynolds and colleagues recently published research evaluating the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan based on a 2023 survey of Iowa private practice dentists. This study provides key insights into challenges and opportunities within the state’s dental care system, highlighting areas for improvement in Medicaid dental access.  

​Teledentistry Regulation and Policy Guidance

​A Toolkit to Promote Access and Quality Care Through Teledentistry

Still Searching: Meeting Oral Health Needs in Rural Settings

Rural populations have worse oral health care access, utilization, and outcomes in comparison with their urban and suburban counterparts, according to a research report by CareQuest Institute. 

​Delta Dental of Iowa Community Impact Report 

Assessment of Dentist Participation in Public Insurance Programs for Children in the US

The objective of this publication is to assess dental care availability for children in the US by public insurance participation, rural-urban setting, and dentist taxonomy (general, pediatric, or specialized).

Dentists seek first boost in Iowa Medicaid reimbursement rate in 20 years.​

​​Dentists are urging Iowa Lawmakers to plug an extra 31-and-a-half million dollars in Iowa's Medicaid budget to cover dental care. Laurie Traetow, executive director of the Iowa Dental Association, says for the past 20 years, there’s been no change in what the state pays dentists who provide care to Iowans covered by Medicaid.