Dentist shortage in Maine has some pediatricians working to prevent tooth decay

Maine is grappling with such a shortage of dentists that some doctors are adapting to treat early tooth decay themselves.

Most children in Maine don’t get an annual checkup and cleaning from a dentist. Even having dental insurance doesn’t guarantee access: Only a third of children with any type of insurance get both a checkup and a cleaning each year, according to a study last year from the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service and Catherine E. Cutler Institute.

The most commonly proposed solutions are to train more dentists and increase MaineCare rates to make it more affordable for dentists to accept lower-income patients, said Becca Matusovich, executive director of the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine.

Indeed, the ranks of dentists are declining, from 590 in 2019 to 530 in 2023. The Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine is an advocacy coalition focused on improving prevention, education and treatment tools for children’s oral health.

However, Matusovich said potential solutions shouldn’t be limited to adding more dentists and increasing reimbursement.