The American Dental Association reported that some Florida communities have the most severe shortages of dentists in the nation, according to News Channel 8.
Here are five things to know:
1. Florida has a sufficient number of dentists, but is lacking dentists in rural and lower-income areas.
2. In Polk County, there is one dentist for every 3,540 people. Florida has one dentist for every 1,874 residents.
3. A large portion of Polk County residents rely on Medicaid, creating a low profit margin for dentists. Therefore, many dentists do not practice in Polk County as they have to pay off dental loans if they just graduated from school.
4. Many dentists are volunteering in rural areas in an effort to fill the dental gap. Other organizations are offering annual free dental events.
5. The ADA reports that every 15 seconds, someone seeks emergency room care for mouth pain.
More dental news:
Great Expressions Dental Centers receives government certification for management software — 4 takeaways
DENTSPLY buys Sirona for $5.5B — 4 notes
DENTSPLY merges with Sirona Dental Systems in $13.3B deal, Aspen Dental opens two facilities & more — 8 key notes