The Dental Health Improvement Act will be especially helpful in Maine, where, in some parts of the state, the current dentist-to-patient ratios are unacceptably low. It will also increase the opportunities for dentists practicing in underserved rural areas to participate in loan repayment and loan forgiveness programs.
"Maine, like many states, is currently facing a serious shortage of dentists, particularly in rural areas. While there is one dentist for every 2,300 people in the Portland area, the number drops dramatically in western and northern Maine," said Senator Collins. "In Aroostook County there is only one dentist for every 5,500 people. This ratio, in effect, prevents many people from obtaining the consistent dental health care they need. Enactment of my Dental Health Improvement Act will help to strengthen the oral health care safety net by increasing the dental workforce in our nation''s rural and underserved communities."
In Maine, approximately 173,000 citizens live in federally designated dental health professional shortage areas. Moreover, this situation is exacerbated by the fact that our dental workforce is graying and the overall ratio of dentists to population is declining. In Maine, there currently are approximately 400 active dentists, more than half of whom are 45 or older. More than 20 percent of dentists nationwide will retire in the next ten years and the number of dental graduates by 2015 may not be enough to replace these retirees.
The Dental Health Improvement Act has been endorsed by the American Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, and the Children''s Dental Health Project.