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Dental Pilot Project #200

Training Dental Hygienists to Place Interim Therapeutic Restorations

Sponsor

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry

Project Status

Dental Pilot Project #200 has concluded and closed on September 30, 2021.


Outcomes:
Dental Pilot Project #200 resulted in Oregon legislation Senate Bill 1550., which authorized an expanded practice dental hygienist to perform interim therapeutic restorations.  A collaborative agreement is required between a dentist and an expanded practice dental hygienist to include the additional scope of practice regarding interim therapeutic restorations.
The Oregon Board of Dentistry developed administrative rules which govern the process. Please see the Oregon Board of Dentistry website for more information.


Publications:
In June 2021, the sponsors of Dental Pilot Project #200 published their findings and project outcomes in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. The article “Training dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations in a school-based tele-dentistry program: Oregon's virtual dental home" can be viewed here.  


Purpose and Project Description

To train Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists (EPDHs) and demonstrate that EPDHs can successfully place “Interim Therapeutic Restorations" (ITRs) when directed to do so by a collaborating dentist. The ITR is an interim restoration designed to stop the progression of dental caries until the patient can receive treatment for that tooth by a dentist.
Oregon is in the midst of a dental health care crisis with more than 91 areas in the state designated as dental care health professional shortage areas (Kaiser Family Foundation study, April 28, 2014). This level of “deficiency" translates to more than 61% of Oregon residents not having their dental care needs met. One county where the need is particularly great is Polk County, and it is within this county - and the Polk County School District that a collaborative consisting of OHSU School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific Center for Special Care, and Capitol Dental Care (CDC) will implement its pilot project to train Expanded Dental Hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations (ITR) within the context of a telehealth connected dental team.*
This OHSU project has been planned and developed in collaboration with the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry (UoP) and Capitol Dental Care (CDC).**
Under the dental pilot project program [Capitol Dental Care] CDC will build upon existing community outreach programs in Polk County by adding the telehealth model to existing preventive services, which include assessment, radiographs, intra-oral photographs, cleanings, sealants, fluorides, oral health instruction, and ITR if indicated. CDC's telehealth connected dental team of Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists, dental assistants, and supervising dentist, will visit three schools within the District, serving approximately 10 children per day~75 per month with a total expected population of 1200-1500 measurable encounters over the life of the 15-month project.
Those children with advanced disease in need of additional care will be referred for care either through CDC's mobile van operatory, or directed to a dental clinic for restorative care, as needed.
This Dental Workforce Pilot Project (DWPP) will add one new duty to those currently permitted for Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists (EPDHs) that are part of a community-based telehealth connected team system of care already under way.
The Oregon Health and Science University will train Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists (EPDH) to perform a new duty in community settings to improve the oral health of underserved populations and demonstrate their ability to carry out this duty.



Key Documents

Site Visits Reports


Advisory Committee Meeting Materials


August 10, 2020 Meeting Materials (pdf) 
January 14, 2019 Meeting Materials (pdf) 
April 9, 2018 Meeting Materials (pdf) 
September 22, 2017 Meeting Materials (pdf) 
October 19, 2016 Joint Oversight & Committee Meeting Materials (pdf) 

Additional Information

If you would like copies of documents associated with this project, including application review, public comments, project chronology, site visit reports, advisory committee meeting minutes, and more, please contact Sarah Kowalski at sarah.e.kowalski@state.or.us and these items will be made available to you.