Dental Therapists in Alaska: Addressing Unmet Needs and Reviving Competition in Dental Care

Dental healthcare is provided to Alaska Natives and all other Native Americans by the United States government as part of its unique legal and political relationship with the tribes. Although Alaska Natives do have some degree of access to dentists, they suffer from the worst dental health of any group in the United States. This crisis exists because of geographic, cultural, and economic constraints, and the dental profession has not acted sufficiently to address these constraints. To deal with this crisis, the federal government granted a special license for Dental Therapists to provide much needed care to Natives. Dental Therapists are a form of dental health professional somewhat analogous to a nurse practitioner and are used in many developed countries. This Note discusses the economic and legal foundations of professional regulation and explores the virtual monopoly that dentists have on the provision of dental care. It shows how Dental Therapists are a needed solution for addressing the Native dental health crisis and how their introduction will force the dental profession to more seriously address the nationwide need for enhanced access and availability of low-cost care for underserved populations.