HealthProviders DB is a comprehensive database of healthcare providers, including a complete directory of all Advanced Practice Dental Therapists.
Dental Provider Healthcare Taxonomy Code 125K00000X
As of today, the following are the total number of Advanced Practice Dental Therapists nationally, in your state, and near your location.
Medicare
The following are the total number of Advanced Practice Dental Therapists who accept Medicare in your state, the number who have opted out of Medicare, and the total number excluded from participation in Medicare nationwide.
What do Advanced Practice Dental Therapists do?
Advanced Practice Dental Therapists (ADTs) perform preventive and basic restorative dental care, including exams, X-rays, fillings, and temporary crown placement, under the general direction of a dentist.
They expand access to care, especially in underserved communities, offering a broader scope of practice than traditional dental therapists and potentially providing care in settings such as nursing homes with less direct supervision.
Preventive Care: ADTs provide preventive services, including oral health education, X-ray imaging, and professional cleanings (prophylaxis).
Restorative Care: They can place and prepare direct restorations (fillings), place and prepare temporary crowns, and perform other routine restorative procedures.
Examinations and Treatment Planning: ADTs conduct oral assessments and contribute to treatment planning, which the dentist oversees.
Nonsurgical Extractions: In some areas, ADTs are authorized to perform nonsurgical extractions of specific types of diseased teeth.
Environment
General Supervision: Unlike a traditional dental therapist who requires direct supervision, an ADT can often work under the general supervision of a collaborating dentist.
Increased Access: ADTs work to improve access to care, often in settings with dental shortages, such as community health centers, nursing homes, and tribal health clinics.
Team-Based Care: They function as part of the broader dental care team, providing essential services to children and adults.
Distinction from Dental Therapists
Additional Training: ADTs receive more advanced training and clinical practice than traditional dental therapists.
Broader Scope: The additional training enables ADTs to perform a wider range of procedures and have greater flexibility in their supervision.
Purpose of ADTs
Cost-Effective Care: By training more providers to perform a defined set of commonly needed procedures, dental therapy creates an accessible and cost-effective workforce.
Addressing Shortages: The role of the dental therapist and ADT was developed to address the national shortage of dentists and the resulting disparities in oral health access, particularly in rural and low-income areas.