Many low-income, minority and elderly Americans have limited access to dental care. According to the Health Policy Institute, rural areas have less than half the number of dentists per 100,000 residents than urban areas, and it's not for lack of dentists in the field. Enrollment in dental schools has been rising, but the "majority of those graduates aren't practicing in underserved communities and don't accept uninsured patients or those enrolled in federal health insurance plans," said the Tampa Bay Times.
The lack of regular dental checkups and procedures is problematic beyond unfilled cavities. "Poor oral health can have far-reaching consequences, not only as a precursor to other physical health issues but as a factor in depression and mental health issues," Myechia Minter-Jordan, the president and CEO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, told USA Today.
To combat the lack of dental care, some primary care doctors are opting to accept a portion of the burden. Some places have also introduced mobile clinics. "Since the beginning of the pandemic, mobile clinics have increased access to a range of services in hard-to-reach places with sparse populations," said NPR.
Access to youth dental care, in particular, can have a positive effect. "The literature documents very clearly that if you are in pain, you're going to miss school more often than other kids, and you're not going to learn as well," Frank Catalanotto, a founding member of Floridians for Dental Access and former dean of the University of Florida College of Dentistry, said to the Tampa Bay Times. | 
