DENTAL PRACTITIONERS

Minnesota needs these midlevel caregivers

Your April 16 editorial on proposals to license oral health practitioners and dental therapists rightly focused on the unmet dental care needs of thousands of Minnesotans and the decades of research on the safe and effective care delivered by similar practitioners in Alaska and internationally. The real issue is safe, reliable health care for Minnesotans, not trade associations' turf wars.

MnSCU fully supports both mid-level dental practitioner proposals. As you noted, Metropolitan State University's Master of Science program, taught by veteran dental educators, equips midcareer licensed practitioners to provide basic dental care in settings that previous initiatives have been unable to address -- schools, nursing homes, community clinics, homeless shelters, prisons, emergency rooms and rural communities.

The University of Minnesota program creates a pathway for those new to dental care and will increase the capacity of some existing dental clinics. Dentists' involvement with either model is entirely optional.

The current proposals are timely, since the number of Minnesota dentists who will soon be retiring is significantly higher, especially in underserved areas, than the number of new dentists entering the field. It is more important than ever for practicing dentists to work "at the top of their license," focusing on complex cases, including those referred to them by oral health practitioners.

This same model that has extended the reach of physicians by including nurse practitioners and physicians assistants in the health care team will work with the dental care team. Several progressive states are looking to Minnesota to further its leadership tradition.

SUE K. HAMMERSMITH, PRESIDENT, METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL

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The Minnesota Dental Association is spending many advertising dollars to argue over the value of dentists. The question is not whether dentists are valuable. They probably are. The question is whether dental care is valuable. It definitely is.

Dentists are unable to provide dental care to all who need it. Many Medicaid-qualified seniors in nursing homes don't receive care because dentists don't want to serve them or enough dentists aren't available. It can be challenging to provide dental care to someone with Alzheimer's or other complex conditions.

The new midlevel oral health practitioner will fill a substantial need and improve health care.

MICHAEL FINN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, ECUMEN, SHOREVIEW

AMERICORPS MEMBERS

Helping others, and strengthening the U.S.

Thanks to Jon Tevlin for his April 15 column raising up what AmeriCorps is all about: service.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's claims of AmeriCorps indoctrination is contradicted by the facts. AmeriCorps members, as federal employees, are forbidden to participate in partisan political activities, and staff are forbidden to present partisan political material. President George W. Bush and Republican and Democrat governors, including Tim Pawlenty, have supported AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps members are not volunteers but citizens performing a year of national service, doing things like tutoring children having difficulty reading. Bachmann sets up a "straw man," labeling them as "volunteers" and then attacking her label, saying that they are not volunteers because they get a meager living allowance. Helping others to strengthen our country is part of being a citizen, no matter what political party resides in the White House.

JIM FOURNIER, ST. PAUL;

AMERICORPS DIRECTOR

Vermilion park

The land is there; can the will follow?

It took fortitude and forethought to preserve the state parklands Minnesotans enjoy today. U.S. Steel has a foothold in northeastern Minnesota. Leaders of both the company and the state need to ensure that Minnesota acquires the land for a future state park.

Now is our chance for a unique and important part of the Lake Vermilion watershed to be preserved for future generations, contributing to landscape aesthetics and a healthy citizenry.

MARY BORANIAN, BEMIDJI, MINN.

Pirates off Somali shores

Somali people want an end to lawlessness

Members of the Somali Community in Minnesota unequivocally support the Navy Seals and U.S. military in their brave action to free Capt. Richard Phillips from the Somali pirates.

The ruthless action of the pirates has prevented shipments of food and resources from reaching the poverty-stricken Somali population. Further exacerbating the already difficult conditions the Somali people have endured for the last 19 years due to lack of a central government, institutions and the rule of law is the impunity with which these thugs create havoc for the innocent seafarers.

It is high time that pirates and other lawless miscreants in Somalia be brought to justice. We believe it is in the interest of the Untied States and the international community to help Somalia secure its borders and shores and in the building of a broad-based economically, politically and socially sustainable government.

MOHAMED JIBRELL, MINNEAPOLIS;

BOARD CHAIR, CONFEDERATION OF SOMALI

COMMUNITY IN MINNESOTA

NEW BIKERS

By their plates, you would know them

A recent New Jersey law requires new drivers, age 21 and younger, to display identifying decals on their vehicles. Recent statistics clearly show motorcyclists who have riding experience of less than one year to be a significantly higher accident risk.

Why not create a motorcycle plate to identify new motorcycle riders? Perhaps cars on the road would be more cautious.

BRUCE BURTON, BLOOMINGTON