Proposal can bridge gaps for those who need dental care
This past August, the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe opened a new community health center, enabling our Tribe to provide services that weren’t previously accessible on the reservation. And what a difference that makes. During an era where the need to prioritize our health is clearer than ever, it is comforting to know we have easy access to resources that help our community. All of Kitsap County deserves the same.
As Washington’s current legislative session continues, we are at a pivotal moment in ensuring families and children across the county have access to safe and affordable dental care. We can do this through the approval of House Bill (HB) 1885, which would expand access to dental therapists statewide.
Dental therapists are mid-level dental service providers whose primary job is routine and preventive care to ensure dental issues are caught early before they progress too far or avoided altogether. Dental therapists have been able to practice in Washington state’s tribal communities since 2017. Approving this bill is an opportunity to follow the lead of Tribes in creating a pathway to quality employment and enabling providers to serve the community they grew up in, establishing better access to care.
Home grown dental therapists can achieve a level of trust and connection to the individuals they serve that is unparalleled. In places where distrust in the medical system can run deep from generational trauma, these patients can see themselves in the staff who serve them.
In our experience with dental therapists, we’ve seen more patients accessing preventative dental care. We’ve witnessed our dental therapist build trust with patients suffering from extreme dental anxiety and begin working on treatment plans in the clinic. Dental therapists work through patient treatment plans leaving the more complex procedures to the dentists, which is a much more efficient use of clinic and patient time. Tribal members across the nation are getting trained and certified to work within our communities and provide the continuity of care that many tribal people lack. The whole philosophy of “growing our own” fits the cultural norms of our Tribal communities. It is important for our people to trust and feel comfortable with the providers they work with. The dental therapy program provides that foundation for many.
Across Washington, there is a large disparity in access to quality dental care. Provider shortages and too few providers who accept Medicaid patients prevent access. The largest barrier, however, is the cost of treatment. We know there are many Kitsap residents with low incomes outside of tribal communities who struggle to get dental care. The expansion of dental therapists can help address this problem.
For the last 10 years, the Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) has funded a campaign to obstruct the expansion of dental therapists. By doing so, they have blocked access to much-needed healthcare for low-income families and people of color for a decade. As members of the Washington Dental Therapy Task Force, which was convened last year to further review the issue, they were the lone voice opposed to the sound policy proposals studied. Yet they continue to make unfounded fear-based claims about safety and a two-tier system of care. Those two tiers are in fact what’s in place today – those who can and those who cannot access care.
We are urging the Legislature and Rep. Michelle Caldier of the 26th District to clear the way to more equitable access to dental care and approve the expansion of dental therapy now.
Jeromy Sullivan, an enrolled member of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, has served as Tribal Chairman since 2010. Jolene Sullivan, enrolled member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, serves as the Director of Health Services.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Your turn: S'Klallam Tribe calls on Legislature pass dental proposal
