Matthew Horan, DMD, MPH: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: Amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry determined it is within the scope of practice of dentists and dental hygienists, under certain qualifiers, to administer vaccines. Nearly simultaneously the American Dental Association (ADA) added codes for COVID vaccines and dental providers, primarily within mixed medical settings, began vaccinating. Within months, COVID vaccines were a covered service within our state Medicaid dental program. In August of 2021, the Office of Oral Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a dental professional's resource guide for becoming a vaccinator with a focus on the COVID vaccine. In March 2022, the ADA announced the expected addition of Human Papillomavirus vaccine administration codes for the 2023 code book update. The Massachusetts Office of Oral Health has since made a technical assistance document available that focuses on becoming a vaccinator in general – including starting with an initial focus on expanding to include influenza and Human Papillomavirus. This roundtable will focus on sharing the progress and challenges experienced in Massachusetts as other states might be considering vaccination by dental providers, in the early training and preparation stages, or sharing potential best practices around training, piloting, and implementation.
Source of Funding:: Conference attendance is supported by Health Resources and Service Administration Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce grant number T12HP31869.
