Policy makers in a number of states are considering the creation of new types of licensed professionals who would work with dentists to deliver primary dental care to children and other underserved patients. A new report, It Takes a Team: How New Dental Providers Can Benefit Patients and Practices, examines the impact that hiring new types of providers — dental therapists and hygienist-therapists — would have on the productivity and profits of a private dental practice, where more than 90 percent of the nation’s dentists work. The study also assesses the impact of dental hygienists, who are currently employed by most dental practices.