Pennsylvania has lost 10 percent of its dental workforce since 2015, according to a recent report from Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health.
Six takeaways from the report:
1. Reduction of the state's dental workforce sped up during the COVID-19 pandemic and in rural communities, with rural communities experiencing a 14.2 percent loss of dentists compared to 3.5 percent in urban areas.
2. Workforce decreases have led to a $6.3 million loss in tax revenue per year and a $74 million loss in rural labor income.
3. The coalition found that dental hygienists and assistants with certifications are not being utilized to the fullest scope of practice and are not effectively distributed.
4. Pennsylvania's annual salaries for dental care providers are some of the lowest in the U.S.
5. The state lost 13.5 percent of Medicaid dentists from 2019 to the end of 2020 and saw a 6.6 percent increase in enrolled participants.
6. Regarding COVID-19 relief funds, dental businesses received a total of $468 million, with an average Paycheck Protection Program loan of $90,562; $3.46 billion with the mean average of $51,118 per loan in economic injury disaster loans; and 94 business received an average of $4,275 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.