House Bill 1421, cosponsored by Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Dungeness, would educate new dental therapists in order to provide needed dental services on the Olympic Peninsula and in other areas across the state where oral health care is difficult to access.

Tharinger’s district, which encompasses Jefferson and Clallam counties and most of Grays Harbor County, contains one of the state’s eight federally designated dental health professional shortage areas.

On the North Olympic Peninsula and in other areas across the state, kids and families can’t find a dentist who will treat them, Tharinger learned. Fewer than one in 10 adults using Apple Health (Medicaid) saw a dentist in 2013. Even among kids ages 5 and younger assisted by the state’s ABCD program, only one in three used a dental service in 2013.

“We have an oral health access crisis on the North Olympic Peninsula,” said Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, in a press release. “Good oral health is a crucial part of overall health. We are not serving the need that exists for basic dental care, resulting in a significant amount of preventable suffering and disability. Dental therapists can help.”

HB 1421 would educate a new generation of oral health care professionals, called dental therapists. Similar to a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, a dental therapist can put affordable care within reach of more people. Adding dental therapists to the workforce is a cost-effective way to use state resources more efficiently and improve the health of kids and families.

“Dental therapists allow every member of the dental team to maximize their efficiency and deliver more care to more people,” said Tharinger. “Our busy health clinics can bring in more providers to serve the needs of more families in my home district.”

Oral health is vital to overall health. Poor oral health can also lead to diabetes, stroke and heart disease.