Have you or members of your family had trouble finding a dentist to help you stay healthy? The Washington Dental Access Campaign wants to hear about it. In many communities across Washington, dental care is out of reach. Without it, you can lose your teeth, your health—and even your life. The Washington Dental Access Campaign is working to authorize dental therapists to address Washington’s dental access shortage. Speak up about your efforts to find timely, affordable dental care.

Dental therapists have practiced safely and effectively in the United States for 15 years. They are rigorously trained in a narrow set of commonly needed procedures. If authorized by state lawmakers, dental therapists will expand access to dental care and make a positive economic impact. They can offer quality, timely care to rural, low-income communities and communities of color—and well-paying jobs in communities where dental professionals are hard to find. Dental therapists are already practicing in Washington state, thanks to Native American leaders and state lawmakers. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community hired the state’s first dental therapist in 2016 to better meet their community’s dental care needs. Lawmakers formally authorized dental therapy on Native lands in 2017. Now, advocacy organizations are working to get lawmakers to take the next step, creating good health and economic growth in communities statewide.

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Direct link to survey: http://bit.ly/WADental

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