People who don’t have access to dental professionals are going to have better opportunities now, thanks to national guidelines that will introduce a new type of dental professional, reports Dental Products Report.

Dental therapists are licensed oral health care professionals who practice as part of a dental team, providing educational, clinical and therapeutic patient services. They are mid-level providers, similar to nurse practitioners on a medical team. Dental therapists provide preventive and restorative treatment for both children and adults, and they can also extract primary teeth under the supervision of a dentist. They work primarily in settings that serve low-income, uninsured and underserved populations.