Latest Updates
Stay up to date on the New York Partnership for Dental Therapy — advocacy wins, coalition news, and updates on the push to authorize dental therapists in New York State.
Kari Ann Kuntzelman (Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma) (she/her,hers) Executive Director, American Dental Therapy Association Licensed Dental Therapist – Oregon This year marks twenty years since the founding of the American Dental Therapy Association (ADTA), and the organization used its 2026 Annual Conference in Detroit to look back on that history while turning…
By Bridget Walsh, Senior Policy Manager, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy I had the opportunity to attend the American Dental Therapy Association Conference last month, where I shared updates on work to authorize dental therapy in New York. It was energizing to hear about what dental therapists are doing around the country and to learn more…
By Adrienne Anderson, Senior Policy Fellow, Step Two Policy Project. The United States has a well-documented shortage of dental providers, especially in rural areas and for individuals enrolled in Medicaid. The past two years have additionally seen new restrictions on Medicaid eligibility (and therefore access) and HHS’s withdrawal of its longstanding fluoridation recommendation, both of…
By Donna Hickey The New York Dental Hygienists’ Association , the professional association for dental hygienists in New York State, is pleased to be a founding member of the New York State Partnership for Dental Therapy. Research has clearly shown the critical need for improved oral health care access in many areas of New York…
My name is Jory Maloney, and I am a registered dental hygienist (RDH) working in Schenectady, NY, at a a federally qualified health center (FQHC), a type of clinic designed to provide affordable access to healthcare for patients using Medicaid, uninsured patients, and those who may otherwise go without medical or dental care. Being from Schenectady, the work that I get to do…
At Brightside Up Inc. , we believe that every child deserves a strong start, and that a strong start means caring for the whole child. Physical health, mental wellbeing, and oral health are not separate concerns. They are woven together, and they shape how children grow, learn, communicate, and thrive. That belief is why we joined the…
By Kate Breslin, Schuyler Center President and CEO Every person deserves access to good health care, and that includes dental care. That is not a radical idea. It is a basic expectation that our health systems should be built to meet. Yet right now, too many New Yorkers cannot get basic dental care. Not because…
For millions of New Yorkers, getting a dental appointment isn’t as simple as picking up the phone. Nearly 2.8 million people in New York State live in areas without enough dental providers. The consequences go far beyond a toothache.
I’ve worked in community dental health for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen the need for dental care for the underserved to increase while access to that care has decreased.