Nation Facing Shortage of Dentists

The AP/Hartford Courant on Sunday examined the increased number of communities nationwide that have dentist shortages. According to federal estimates, about 1,480 U.S. communities have dentist shortages, a number that has almost doubled since 1990. The dentist shortages affect more than 31 million U.S. residents in large parts of Nevada and the Great Plains, southern Texas, northern Maine and rural communities in many other states, according to HHS; department officials estimate that the areas require 4,650 additional dentists. The United States has about 152,000 dentists, more than one-third of whom are older than age 55, according to the American Dental Association, and experts estimate that the number will begin to decrease in about 10 years as the number of dental school graduates becomes insufficient to replace retirees. The 56 dental schools in the United States are "struggling just to maintain operations" and have more than 350 vacant faculty positions because of an "exodus of teachers into better-paying private practice," the Courant reports. Many states, such as New Hampshire, have begun to offer to repay student loans for dentists who agree to serve in underserved areas to help address dentist shortages. "All states are struggling with these issues. It's something that cries out for national policy intervention," Dr. William Kassler, the state medical director for New Hampshire, said. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who discussed the issue in a visit to South Dakota last month, said, "I've heard horror stories from South Dakotans who were forced to travel more than 100 miles for a simple dental procedure" (AP/Hartford Courant, 9/21).