Coast Guard Expands Oral Healthcare Team With Dental Therapists
The United States Coast Guard has partnered with the University of Minnesota to integrate dental therapists into its healthcare delivery model. The 5-year initiative aims to address provider shortages, strengthen operational readiness, and redefine military dentistry team structure.
The United States Coast Guard has launched a 5-year partnership with the Division of Dental Therapy at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, marking a strategic expansion of its oral healthcare workforce. Beginning in fall 2024, each dental therapy cohort will include up to two Coast Guard members, embedding military personnel directly into an accredited civilian dental therapy program.
This signals a structural shift in how military dentistry may address persistent access challenges. Provider shortages within the armed services have long strained readiness and clinical capacity, particularly in remote or deployment-based settings. Incorporating dental therapists introduces a mid-level practitioner capable of delivering preventive and restorative services under collaborative management agreements, allowing dentists to operate at the top of their licensure while improving throughput.
The Coast Guard’s engagement reflects institutional confidence in dental therapy education and scope of practice. Program leadership indicates the partnership demonstrates recognition that dental therapists can function as force multipliers within integrated care models. Graduates will return to military service equipped with competencies in caries management, restorative procedures, preventive care, and community-based outreach.
The first two Coast Guard members, Jasmine Chapman and Javier Carrasquillo Marrero, began the program in 2024. In 2026, they will earn a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, and in 2027, they will receive their Master of Dental Therapy degree. Both exemplify the unique profile of these learners: older age with prior military and healthcare experience.
Complex healthcare systems increasingly rely on diversified provider models. As the Coast Guard evaluates outcomes over the 5-year partnership, dental therapy’s role in military dentistry could influence workforce policy well beyond a single branch of service. Click here to read more.
