Residents in Humboldt County, Calif., are struggling to find dental care amid a dental workforce shortage hitting the area, ABC affiliate KRCR reported May 5.
One resident, Amber Langford, told the news station she has had a broken tooth for more than a year but has been unable to schedule an appointment or find a provider that accepts her insurance.
The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services said the decrease of private practices in the area is contributing to the shortage. A recent survey conducted by the agency found about half of private dentists in Humboldt County are considering retirement in the next five years.
The county established an oral health plan three years ago with goals to increase accessibility of dental services in the area, especially for recipients of Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. There is currently only one practice in the county that accepts Medi-Cal, but there are 51,000 people under the program in the county.