Cultural context in the effort to improve oral health among alaska native people: The dental health aide therapist model

S. Wetterhall, B. Burrus, D. Shugars and J. Bader

American Journal of Public Health, 2011, vol. 101, issue 10, 1836-1840

Abstract: The Alaska Native people in rural Alaska face serious challenges in obtaining dental care. Itinerant care models have failed to meet their needs for more than 50 years. The dental health aide therapist (DHAT) model, which entails training midlevel care providers to perform limited restorative, surgical, andpreventiveprocedures, was adopted to address some of the limitations of the itinerant model. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to assessresidents' satisfaction with the model and the role of DHATs in the cultural context in which they operate. Ourfindingssuggest that the DHAT model can provide much-needed access to urgent care and is beneficial from a comprehensive cultural perspective.

Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2011.300356_8

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300356

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