Dentistry in rural Alaska

The practice of dental care in rural Alaska is overseen by the American Dental Association and other organizations under the jurisdiction of dentistry in the United States, with major differences from dentistry in the contiguous states. The oral health situation among the Alaskan Native population is among the most severe globally, with notably high rates of oral disease. Children in this population aged 2 to 5 years have almost five times the amount of tooth decay as children of the same age elsewhere in the United States, and adults have 2.5 times the amount of tooth decay as adults elsewhere.^[1] Other factors impacting the population's dental health include the difficulty of obtaining fresh food in remote locations, lack of fluoridated running water, and reduced access to education on the importance of dental health.^[2]

The United States federal government and the Alaska Native Corporations have funded multiple programs in the state to target healthcare discrepancies arising from various factors: distance, affecting accessibility and practitioner retention; environmental or general racism; fear; and lack of access to affordable, quality housing and food.^[3] The cost of transportation worsens many of these factors; in 2011, an estimated 85,000 Alaska Natives lived in rural villages accessible only by boat or bush plane. Due to low retention of qualified dentists from external regions, dental therapy programs have taken root in the state to create career opportunities and increase healthcare access. These programs have served as models for other states to create similar programs.