New Report Examines Barriers to Oral Health Services for New Yorkers and Recommendations to Build the Workforce
ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 10, 2025) — Addressing New York’s oral health challenges requires systemic reforms, targeted workforce strategies, and innovative care delivery models. Collaboration among government agencies, providers, community organizations, and academic institutions will be critical in achieving these goals.
A new report, From Barriers to Bridges: Redesigning New York’s Oral Health Workforce for Equity and Access, released by the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, outlines recommendations that provide New York State with a policy roadmap to reduce disparities, improve health outcomes, and ensure that all residents have access to the oral health services they need. This roadmap also provides a foundation for equitable and sustainable oral health policies that prioritize the needs of underserved populations.
In early 2024, the Schuyler Center began a year-long process to develop recommendations addressing the tremendous unmet need for preventive and routine oral health services in New York, especially for New Yorkers with low income, Black and brown New Yorkers, rural residents, and people with disabilities, who all face significant disparities in access to care. The focus of the project has been on increasing the availability of care by identifying comprehensive changes to policies that could address the state’s significant oral health workforce shortage.
The oral health workforce recommendations are organized into four categories, each outlining different approaches to addressing the range of available options; 1. Enhance New York State’s Oral Health Infrastructure; 2. Expand Workforce Capacity by Leveraging Existing Providers; 3. Increase the Number of Oral Health Providers; 4. Create Incentives for Delivery of Care to Underserved Populations. Expanding and better supporting the oral health workforce will benefit New Yorkers who are currently underserved by the oral health system.
“This new report provides a roadmap to create tremendous opportunities for oral health services in New York State, especially for New Yorkers with low incomes,” said Kate Breslin, President and CEO of the Schuyler Center. “Poor oral health and dental pain impacts a person’s ability to live a full life, and a lack of access to oral health care is a matter of health equity. These recommendations call for coordination and collective action, emphasizing collaboration among professions, academia, health systems, community-based organizations, and government partners. Some recommendations in the report also require no changes at all—just the willingness to act and a modest financial commitment.”
“Oral health is a component of wellbeing that prevents and reduces the risk of diseases and enhances self-esteem,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Unfortunately, many New Yorkers, particularly in underserved areas and populations, do not have access to adequate dental care. I thank the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy for creating a report that provides recommendations to strengthen the oral health workforce, improve health outcomes for New Yorkers, and expand access to dental care.”
The full report can be found on the Schuyler Center website at https://scaany.org/oral-health/oral-health-workforce/ .
About the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy is a leading statewide, nonpartisan, policy analysis and advocacy organization based in Albany, NY. Schuyler Center works to shape policies to improve health, wellbeing, and human services for all New Yorkers, especially children and families impacted by poverty and inequitable systems. Learn more at www.scaany.org.
###
Recent Comments