Five things to know:
- Many residents enrolled in Minnesota Health Care Programs, the state’s public health insurance system, travel to nonprofit dental clinics in Hawley, Fergus Falls, Park Rapids, Moorhead, Bemidji and Halstad.
- Mounds View, Minn.-based Apple Tree Dental is a nonprofit dental practice that provides dental services and education to vulnerable populations. Its Hawley clinic has a list of about 1,300 people waiting for an appointment. Its Fergus Falls location has a waiting list of 800 people.
- Jane Neubauer, dental services coordinator at Partnership4Health, a community healthcare organization in Minnesota, told DL-Online she has spoken to Apple Tree Dental and Northern Dental Access to see if the practices can open a clinic in Detroit Lakes.
- There are five dentists in the area that serve Minnesota Health Care Programs recipients, including only one who serves people with special needs.
- In 2019, the state’s Becker County had more than 11,000 residents ages 69 and younger enrolled in one of the Minnesota Health Care Programs, but only about one-third of enrollees saw a dentist that year.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Future of Dentistry Roundtable, taking place September 14-15 in Chicago, dental leaders and executives will gain insights into emerging technologies, practice growth strategies and the evolving landscape of dental care delivery, with a focus on innovation, patient experience and operational excellence. Apply for complimentary registration now.
