U.S. Senator Susan Collins hailed congressional passage of increased funding for dental care for people living in underserved areas. Thanks to an amendment authored by Collins and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Congress passed an appropriations bill funding the Department of Health and Human Services that boosts funding for the Dental Health Improvement Act, a program the Senators created in 2002. The Dental Health Care Improvement Act provides grants to states to help them develop innovative dental programs and focus on expanding dental care to people living in underserved urban and rural areas. The Collins-Feingold amendment more than doubles funding for the program to $5 million. The appropriations bill now heads to the President.
“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.”
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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