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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

In Ohio, Where You Live May Affect Your Dental Health

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Whether it's urban or rural, where dentists decide to set up shop makes a difference in access to oral health care in Ohio.

New figures from the Ohio Department of Health show the number of so-called "dental shortage areas" in the state increased last year by 10 areas, for a total of 71. Janis Sunderhaus, chief executive officer of Health Partners of Western Ohio, says residents of rural communities particularly lack options for dental care.

"Typically what happens is, people with good insurance can get seen, and people without insurance or insurance that doesn't pay as well don't get seen. That impacts the poor of the community; sometimes, the people that may need it most."

More than 1 million Ohioans live in a designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Area, and the state estimates 880,000 of them are not getting adequate care. Expanding the dental team is one key to changing that, Sunderhaus says, by using registered dental health practitioners. They can provide routine care, fill cavities and perform some extractions.

Mid-level dental practitioners could help all Ohioans get the care they need, she says. That would allow dentists to see more patients with greater needs, she adds, while the dental practitioners handle the routine care in places where there aren't enough dentists.

"By making sure that we're maximizing all types of providers, it makes it more cost-effective and cheaper to deliver care when people need it - not when they've got a huge abscess and we have to go in and do multiple, expensive treatments."

This is an important issue to address, Sunderhaus says, because poor oral health is linked to other serious ailments including heart disease and diabetes.

"We need to look at dental as a key component to any health-care reforms that we do. Without including dental services in that conversation, we will never have really good health for our community."

Some argue that mid-level dental practitioners lack the training needed in case a routine dental procedure would escalate to a more serious issue. But supporters of the idea say a number of states already have licensed them, with no significant problems.


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