Swinomish Indian tribe advocates for dental therapy across Washington

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community continues to advocate for legislation that would allow dental therapists to practice throughout Washington.

Dental therapists are mid-level providers capable of performing about 50 of the approximately 500 procedures a dentist can provide, such as fillings and simple extractions.

Previous efforts to pass legislation that would allow dental therapists to practice throughout the state have faced resistance from the Washington State Dental Association, said Marcy Bowers, executive director of Poverty Action, an advocacy organization for low-income communities.

Advocates of such legislation say it would improve access to oral health care.

According to a 2017 study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies, rural and low-income patients and those with limited English proficiency have less access to oral health care and poorer oral health outcomes.

Since 2016, the Swinomish tribe has used dental therapists to serve its community.

Brian Wilbur, a member of the Swinomish Tribal Senate, and Rachael Hogan, director of the Swinomish Dental Clinic, told the state House of Representatives’ Health and Wellness Committee on Dec. 1 about the tribe’s successes after adding dental therapists to its clinic. Wilbur cited decreased wait times for appointments from about two months to one week; the expansion of oral health practices in the community; and the ability of the clinic’s two dentists to focus on more in-depth procedures.

“Dental therapists have bridged the gap created by budget shortages,” Wilbur said at the hearing.