Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) are hailing Senate passage of their effort to strengthen dental care for people living in underserved areas. The Collins-Feingold amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill will boost funding for the Dental Health Improvement Act, which they got signed into law in 2002. The Act provides grants to states to help them develop innovative programs tailored to the needs of the state and focuses on expanding dental care to people living in urban and rural areas with little access to dental care. The Collins-Feingold amendment doubles funding for the program to $4 million.
“Dental care is an integral part of overall health care, and this funding will help improve access to oral health care in states like Maine that are currently underserved,” said Senator Collins. “In Maine, there is one general practice dentist for every 2,300 people in the Portland area. The numbers drop off dramatically, however, in other parts of our state. In Aroostook County, for example, there is only one dentist for every 5,500 people. And, of the practicing dentists in Aroostook County, only a few are taking on any new cases.”
“Right now in Wisconsin and around the country, thousands of people are either waiting in long lines to receive dental care or not visiting a dentist at all because they’re too far away,” Feingold said. “With all the advancements in dentistry, it is inexcusable that so many Americans aren’t getting the dental care they need. I’m working to make sure Congress provides funding to help people in underserved communities get access to dental care.”
With the additional funding, the Dental Health Improvement Act will increase access to dental care in underserved communities by increasing the number of dentists nationwide. By helping with loan forgiveness and repayment programs for dental professionals, expanding community-based dental facilities, and enhancing recruitment and retention efforts, we can attract more people to the dental care profession and ensure dental services are accessible to more people. An estimated 25 million Americans live in areas lacking adequate dental services and as many as nine percent of our nation’s rural population has never been to a dentist. For at least the next 10 years, retiring dentists are projected to outnumber new ones.
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