AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A new report says two-thirds of Mainers live in rural areas but only 13 percent of Maine's dentists live there, confirming that there's a shortage of dental care in rural areas of the state.
The report by MCD Public Health in Augusta was commissioned by the Legislature in 2011 to examine the state of oral health in Maine and make recommendations on how to increase access to dental care.
The report found that 55 percent of MaineCare children go without dental care even though they have insurance, and that 15 of Maine's 16 counties are designated as having a shortage of dental care. The study says more money is spent fixing oral health problems than in preventing them.
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