Maine addresses rural dentist shortage by training docs

Faced with a shortage of dentists, especially in rural areas, Maine has teamed with the American Dental Association on a program to train physicians in dentistry (Source: “Short of Dentists, Maine Adds Teeth to Doctors’ Training,” New York Times, March 3, 2009).

The program, like similar ones in other states, trains primary care doctors on basic dental procedures and ways to identify more serious problems in patients, who are then referred to a dentist.

“I see dental complaints all the time from people who come into the E.R.,” said Dr. Andrew Fletcher, who learned dentistry during his hospital residency. “It’s mostly Medicaid patients who don’t have money to see dentists.”