Topeka – Fort Hays State University has joined the Kansas Dental Project’s effort to bring Registered Dental Practitioners to Kansas.  Pending passage by the Kansas Legislature and approval by the Kansas Board of Regents, Fort Hays State would be the first to offer a baccalaureate degree program to train RDPs in Kansas.

RDPs are mid-level dental care providers, who perform preventative and routine services like cleanings and fillings.  However, Kevin Robertson, executive director of the Kansas Dental Association, says the organization, “strongly opposes” the introduction of dental practitioners, who he believes jeopardize patient health and safety.

13 Kansas counties have no dentist at all while 93 counties do not have enough dentists to serve their residents.

Fort Hays State aims to secure private funding to start the RDP training program. The university does not anticipate requesting state appropriations to start the program. Subsequent to development of the program, student tuition dollars will sustain the financing of the program.

The Kansas Dental Project is led by Kansas Action for Children, the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved and the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition.