For more than 50 million Americans, finding a dentist is a difficult^[1] – in some cases, impossible^[2] – proposition. Many rural communities don’t have a dentist^[3]. People of color and those with disabilities often lack access^[4], and only about one-third of dentists accept Medicaid^[5].

That’s why dental therapists – professionals who don’t have a full dentistry degree but are trained to provide basic dental care...