Available in PDF and EPUB (Apple eBook) formats.

Access to routine dental care should be a right, not a privilege.

"For Want of a Dentist: The Rise of the Dental Therapy Movement in Tribal Nations and the U.S., Lessons from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation”

Take a look at the under-the-radar oral health crisis in the United States, through the prism of an effective approach centering on equity, access and opportunity. You will learn how the growth of this community-led movement has increased access to dental care through the training and deployment of mid-level care providers known as dental therapists.

The battle for equity in dental care is at a critical moment, and a wider understanding of what has worked so far can serve as a valuable tool for the people on the front lines of fighting for what comes next. Through “For Want of a Dentist,” we hope to raise awareness of the enormous potential for dental therapy to bring good oral health to remote villages and low-income neighborhoods; provide a road map for advocates seeking to expand dental coverage or broader health care reform; spur and bolster organizations that fund such efforts; and inform elected officials, academics and journalists who play critical roles in this debate.

About the Author

Author picture

Wendell Potter is an author, former corporate public relations executive and journalist. He started his career in his home state of Tennessee covering local and state politics–including the Tennessee statehouse–for The Memphis Press-Scimitar. He spent more than two decades in the health insurance industry, first at Humana and then at Cigna. He served as head of corporate communications for Cigna when he left after a crisis of conscience in 2008.

Since then, he’s written several books delving deeper into the health care industry, covering money in politics, propaganda and access. He also has written numerous commentaries and analysis pieces for a broad range of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, the Guardian, the Nation and the Center for Public Integrity.

Author picture

Wendell Potter is an author, former corporate public relations executive and journalist. He started his career in his home state of Tennessee covering local and state politics–including the Tennessee statehouse–for The Memphis Press-Scimitar. He spent more than two decades in the health insurance industry, first at Humana and then at Cigna. He served as head of corporate communications for Cigna when he left after a crisis of conscience in 2008.

Since then, he’s written several books delving deeper into the health care industry, covering money in politics, propaganda and access. He also has written numerous commentaries and analysis pieces for a broad range of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, the Guardian, the Nation and the Center for Public Integrity.

Testimonials

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Silent Epidemic
Chapter 1: Building a Twenty-First Century Health Movement
Chapter 2: Making a Transpacific Connection
Chapter 3: A Transformative Partnership Between Community and Philanthropy
Chapter 4: David vs. Goliath
Chapter 5: How Native Sovereignty Supports Dental Health
Chapter 6: Exploring Expansion
Chapter 7: The Playing Field Expands
Chapter 8: The Push for Nationwide Standards
Chapter 9: Crafting a New Narrative
Chapter 10: Building on Momentum

The Rise of the Dental Therapy Movement

WKKF

Download the dental therapy e-book

Available in PDF and EPUB (Apple eBook) formats.