High Cost Of Dental Education Is Behind Sharp Increase In Number Of U.S. “Dental Deserts.” Dental Therapists Are Beginning To Fill The Gap.

The number of people in the United States without access to dental care is increasing at an alarming rate. As a recent report by the U.S.Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) showed, almost 63 million people, more than one of every five U.S. residents, live in areas where few, if any, dentists practice. That’s up from 27 million in 2000.

One of the major reasons for the rapid growth of “dental deserts” across the country, especially in rural areas and …