![Maryland Seeks to Attract Young Dentists to Fill Workforce Gaps in Underserved Areas Maryland Seeks to Attract Young Dentists to Fill Workforce Gaps in Underserved Areas](https://i1.wp.com/marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/dentist_dvids_xray2.webp?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
Maryland has about 70 dentists per 100,000 residents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020, but that doesn’t mean they are evenly distributed across the state.
State health officials and dental health advocates say Baltimore and parts of the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland not only lack dentists, but have other barriers that make it difficult for residents to keep up with their oral health. .
The Maryland Department of Health aims to change that with a new program that encourages dental students to begin their careers in areas with dental health care shortages.
The Pathways to Bright Futures program, which launched Wednesday, will educate those students about the dentistry profession in hopes of alleviating shortages in specific areas.
Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, the health department’s undersecretary for public health services, said Wednesday that addressing the workforce shortage “won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight,” but improving access to services dental care will help improve overall health equity in Maryland. .
“When I think about our vision for health equity in Maryland, I see that everyone in our state has a fair and equitable opportunity to be as healthy as possible. It will take a lot of work … to ensure that health equity includes healthy mouths, teeth and gums for all Marylanders,” he said.
Dr. Debony Hughes, director of the department’s Office of Oral Health, said many areas in Western Maryland, the Eastern Shore and Baltimore have fewer than 20 dentists per 100,000 residents, well below the national average of 61 dentists. for every 100,000 residents.
“This program is a collaborative effort to work with students to foster their interests in the field of oral health and provide support to those who know they want to practice in the profession,” Hughes said Wednesday during the kickoff of the program at Dr. .Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore
Pathways to Bright Futures is funded by a grant to the state from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. At Wednesday’s event, six dental health students received funds to help pay for dental school tuition. Each of the students plans to practice dentistry in one of the state’s dental shortage areas.
“Cavities in children and adults, and gum disease, especially in adults, are among the most prevalent chronic diseases in the United States,” Kalyanaraman said. “The main reason oral diseases are so prevalent is that too many Marylanders face barriers to receiving essential, preventive dental care.”
He noted that when Maryland dentists establish their practice, they tend to congregate in “more populated and higher-income areas, creating significant gaps in access to dental care in other regions of the state.”
“This shortage creates an uneven distribution of dental professionals across the state, leading to less access to dental care, especially in already underserved communities,” Kalyanaraman said.
Dr. George Shepley, a general dentist in Baltimore since 1978 and previously president of the American Dental Association, said dental care can help identify other health needs.
“They are connected. Completely. Especially with things like diabetes and heart disease,” Shepley said Wednesday. “And in the world of dentistry, you’ll learn about overall wellness. “It will help diagnose other conditions and empower people to really take responsibility for their lives.”
Mary Backley, executive director of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition, said there are a multitude of logistical and economic barriers that can make it difficult for some Marylanders to get to a dental appointment.
In addition to the lack of equal access to the state’s 4,300 registered dentists, another problem in dentist shortage areas is transportation, particularly for more rural communities in Western Maryland and on the Eastern Shore.
“The biggest barrier, in the rural setting, is distance… It can take miles and miles and miles to get to a provider,” Backley said after Wednesday’s event.
According to Backley, Baltimore residents are more likely to face a long wait list for a dental appointment. And both rural and urban residents may struggle to pay for child care or take time off work to go to the dentist.
There are also financial obstacles that make it difficult for families to afford a visit to the dentist.
Starting in January 2023, Medicaid in Maryland began covering certain dental services for adults. And this year the General Assembly passed legislation to study the feasibility of including complete and partial dentures in Medicaid coverage. Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed the bill into law in May.
State Medicaid expansions can help many low-income families receive dental care, as long as they have access to a provider who accepts Medicaid. Not all Maryland dentists do this.
Backley hopes the Pathways to Bright Futures program will encourage more young people to consider dentistry as a career path and help fill some of the coverage gaps in the state.
On the positive side, Backley said Maryland residents and health officials are taking dental health care seriously.
“It’s been gradual, but every year there has been progress,” he said. “People understand the importance of oral health. And the importance of oral health for general health.”
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