A Harvard study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that around 1.7 million Americans face significant challenges in accessing dental care. Led by Hawazin Elani, the research mapped dental clinic accessibility at a granular level, identifying 'dental deserts' primarily in rural and disadvantaged communities. It builds upon existing research efforts and uses advanced methods to assess clinician availability and demand, highlighting disparities in dentist-to-population ratios. The findings stress the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve dental service access across the nation.
The study maps spatial accessibility to dental clinics nationally, revealing significant disparities in access and highlighting a concerning geographic maldistribution of dental services.
Our findings highlight that many rural and disadvantaged communities are essentially 'dental deserts' where residents must travel long distances for dental care.
We were able to identify areas with limited access to dental care that may have been missed by previous studies, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.
The disparity in dentist availability is particularly striking, with a ratio of one dentist for every 3,850 people in rural areas versus urban settings.
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