Course Summary

Dental therapy has been an active profession in Washington State since 2016. Policies and rules related to Dental Therapy in Washington State have changed over the past decade. This course provides a current overview of Dental Therapy as a growing profession nationwide and summarizes the details of current Washington State DT legislation and rules. Finally, a Dental Therapist will describe the implementation of Dental Therapy within a tribal community in Washington State.

Course Objectives

1. Explain the role and scope of practice for dental therapists nationwide
2. Summarize changes in Washington state dental therapy legislation and rules
3. Describe potential outcomes of integrating dental therapists into a dental clinic

Speaker Bios

Jayson Diaz, RDH, MBA

Dental Program Manager, Washington State Health Care Authority

Jayson Diaz is the Apple Health Dental Program Manager at the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), where he leads initiatives to improve oral health access for the state’s most vulnerable populations. A Registered Dental Hygienist with 17 years of clinical experience, Jayson brings a understanding of patient care to his administrative experience.

As the Apple Health Dental Program Manager, he helped established dental therapists as a recognized provider type in Washington’s Apple Health Program, working to ensure the necessary payment structures were in place as the profession became law. Jayson holds an Associate’s degree in Dental Hygiene from Pierce College and went on to earn both a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and an MBA with a focus on Healthcare Administration from Eastern Washington University. His blend of education and experience allows him to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that oral health is recognized as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.

Miranda Davis, DDS, MPH

Miranda is a dentist and consultant who has focused her career on improving oral health care for underserved communities. She previously served as the Director of the Dental Health Aide Program at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, supporting Northwest Tribes to plan for and implement dental therapy education and clinical integration. Dr. Davis has spent two decades working with Tribal communities and FQHCs in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. She holds a DDS from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco and a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Inga Weddle

Inga Weddle, a Tulalip Tribal member, was born and raised in and around Tulalip, Washington. She worked for the Tulalip Casino for 13 years but was interested in finding a career with a day-shift lifestyle. Her tribe offered to train her as a dental sterilization tech, and it was there that she was inspired to become a dental provider.
Inga was accepted into the Alaska Dental Health Aide Therapy Education Program two years later. She graduated from the first CODA accredited class at Ilisagvik College in 2020.
Since then, Inga has worked serving her community as a dental provider at the Tulalip Health Clinic. She treats patients of all ages, provides the full range of services within her scope of practice and primarily cares for tribal children. She feels that it is a privilege and realization of her dream to share oral health with her people while providing positive experiences. Inga hopes to inspire the next generation of dental providers from within her own community.

Earn 1.5 continuing dental education credits with this course.