American Dental Association, Alaska Dental Society File Suit
To End Unlicensed Practice of Dentistry

ANCHORAGE, January 31, 2006—The American Dental Association (ADA), the Alaska Dental Society (ADS) and several individual dentists filed a lawsuit today in state Superior Court, seeking to stop the unlicensed practice of dentistry and dental surgery by non-dentists.

The complaint asks the court to declare the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and its dental health aide therapists (DHATs) in violation of state dental licensing laws.

“I want to make it clear that the ADA supports every other aspect of the dental health aide program, said Robert M. Brandjord, D.D.S., ADA president. “That means we support education, prevention, oral health literacy programs, water fluoridation, sealant programs, nutrition programs, literally anything and everything that helps prevent dental disease.

“All of us in the dental community regret terribly that the situation has deteriorated to the point of litigation. But we cannot and will not stand by while non-dentists perform irreversible dental surgery on Alaska Natives and others, procedures that other Americans receive only from fully trained, licensed dentists who operate under the safety and accountability standards set by state dental boards.”

DHATs receive only 18 to 24 months training in a foreign dental school, and generally have only a high school education or its equivalent. The procedures at issue include extracting and drilling teeth and performing root canal-like surgery on primary teeth—surgical procedures for which the skills of fully trained, licensed dentists are absolutely essential .

ADA Offers to Drop Lawsuit if DHATs Stop Irreversible Surgical Procedures

The ADA has tried for more than two years to reach accord with the ANTHC, but the Tribal health corporation repeatedly rejected these proposals.

“I have made this offer in private to Tribal health authorities, and I say it now in public” said Dr. Brandjord. “If the therapists and those employing them will agree to stop performing surgical procedures, we will gladly drop our lawsuit. We urge the Tribal health authorities to work with us to create a viable, long-term system of dental care for Alaska Natives.” He emphasized that the dental organizations will continue to work on alternative solutions to getting dental care where it is needed in rural Alaska , regardless of the progress of the lawsuit.

The ADA/ADS alternative proposal to improve Alaska Natives' oral health includes:

• Placing a dental health aide in every village to provide educational and preventive services;
• Creating local training programs for dental auxiliaries so that Alaska Natives and others interested in dental careers need not leave the state for training;
• Securing full funding to enable the Indian Health Service to fill its vacant dental positions and prevent the Tribal health authorities from having to lay off additional dentists;
• Establishing an educational pipeline for qualified young Alaska Natives to attend dental schools, become fully qualified, licensed dentists and return to provide care in their home communities;
• Exploring new models for dental auxiliaries like the community oral health provider; and
• Jump-starting the whole process by placing volunteer dentists in the villages immediately, while the other elements of the program take shape.

About the American Dental Association

Celebrating its 150th anniversary, the not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org

Return to Top