Christy Jo Fogarty, DT, RDH, BSDH, MSOHP
Dental Therapist
Children’s Dental Services
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Advanced Dental Therapists (ADTs) Definition
Training and testing
Children’s Dental Services (CDS) background
Demographics of those I have served
Financial model: Cost/Benefit analysis
Finances in practice
Future of ADTs and DTs
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Dental Therapist:
-Are required to complete a accredited program ending with a bachelors
or masters degree and will always have indirect supervision.
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Advanced Dental Therapist:
-Are required to have completed a accredited program ending with a
masters degree.
-Currently the only program that teaches advanced dental therapy requires
that students are already experienced dental hygienists, who are licensed
and practicing in the profession.
-After the completion of 2,000 hours
of work under indirect supervision
ADT’s can work under general
supervision.
Thus, can work in the field, much
like dentists and collaborative
practice hygienists. Work in a similar
setting as pictured here.
CDS staff providing care in
schools
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ADTs study and train for 27 months at Metropolitan State University.
ADT’s are trained, in their scope of practice, to the level of a dentist.
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ADT must enter into a collaborative management agreement with a
licensed dentist in Minnesota.
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A collaborating dentist must be licensed and practicing in Minnesota.
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The collaborating dentist accepts responsibility for all services
authorized and performed by the advanced dental therapist pursuant
to the management agreement.
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The clinical testing that DT’s/ADT’s take through CRDT’s is the exact
same testing DDS’s take.
•Provided care to 28,000 patients in
2011. Provides care to children birth to
age 21 and pregnant women.
•Provides
dental care across
Minnesota, in both urban and rural
regions.
•Is
primary provider of school- and
Head Start-based portable care at over
200 sites across state
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CDS accepts all forms of public and
commercial insurance, and has a
zero-based sliding scale for income
eligible families.
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CDS provides a full range of
comprehensive dental care,
including endodontia and hospitalbased services.
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CDS provides specially targeted
care programs to those who are
blind, deaf, disabled, and autistic,
and provides culturally targeted and
translated care to the East African,
Latino, Southeast Asian and Native
American communities.
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Since December of 2011, I have provided care to
almost 900 patients.
Demographics of care:
 11% have needed emergency care
 72% of the patients travelled more than 10 miles
to receive care. The greatest distance traveled
by a patient served by the ADT was 500 miles.
 2% of the patients seen by the ADT required
hospital based care.
 80% of patients had public insurance and 13%
were uninsured.
 30% were African American, 9% were East
African, 37% were Hispanic, 18% were Asian
and 6% were Caucasian.
DDS Cost
$75/hr
ADT Cost
$45/hr
ADT provides
restorative
care to 1,500
low-income
children and
pregnant
women per
year
Total Cost Savings
using ADT Pubic
Health Model:
$1200/week
Cost-Benefit Analysis based on 1 ADT providing services
covered under the ADT statute for 40 hours/week in a
public health dental clinic.
Production Summary May 2012 (CDS began
tracking ADT productivity in March. My productivity has
consistently risen since that time.)
DDS Code
Total Production Charges
Total hours worked
Total Production
DR01
44,926
100.9
887.02
DR04
1,171
2.5
468.40
31,986
106.4
300.62
DR20
6,906
27.65
249.76
DR12
8,284
37.15
222.99
DR24
22,121
108.48
203.92
DR36
18,724
98.3
190.48
DR44
19,344
110.4
175.22
DR42
11,744
72.57
161.83
DR38
15,662
109.02
143.66
DR43
5,507
50.73
108.56
DR41
1,799
17.6
102.22
DT01/DT02 (ADT)
I am continuing to work to reach my 2,000 hours
requirement, expected to hit in November, 2012. Once this
has been met, I will go into areas identified as Dental
Professional Shortage Areas to address the greatest unmet
needs in Minnesota. CDS has hired one other ADT, Jamee
Rosell, who is working towards the same goal.
CDS is seeking potential scholarship recipients in
Greater Minnesota who will work, live and serve these
underserved areas as ADTs.
Several other states have been working towards
legislation to allow mid-level practitioners to expand the
dental workforce and open access to care.
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=61628
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=61628
http://www.normandale.mnscu.edu/academics/deans/pdfs/ADEAPresen
tation1.pdf
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=150a.105
http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/Portals/3/
Licensing/Dental%20Therapist/ADT-CMA%2012-4
10approved.pdf
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=150a.105
Any questions?
Christy Jo Fogarty
Dental Therapist
Children’s Dental Services
612-867-8875
cfogarty@childrensdentalservices.org
Sarah Wovcha, J.D., M.P.H
Executive Director
In-House Counsel
Children’s Dental Services
612-636-1577
swovcha@childrensdentalservices.org