Similar Stories to State's Dentist Shortage Worsens on Bing News

Too many people in North Carolina either can't afford to go to the dentist or can't find one in their community, health leaders warn, and the problem is likely to grow worse.A decade after a lack of access to dental care was spotlighted as a top public health concern, major efforts have been made to boost the number of dentists practicing in North Carolina, particularly in rural areas that historically have suffered shortages.But population growth is outpacing those strides, and in 2007 the state posted its first decline in the ratio of dentists to residents -- a ratio that already was below the national average.Part of the problem is a lack of federal funding.