Health officials in Michigan are trying to find more dentists willing to provide free services to people with developmental disabilities, according to a story in the Detroit Free Press.
The goal of a new media campaign is to enhance current efforts by the Michigan Dental Association to recruit dentists to care for those who cannot afford regular oral health services, the Free Press reported.
Some 17 dentists at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center currently provide free care to patients, but many more are needed to serve 5,500 developmentally disabled adults enrolled in the program in Oakland and Macomb counties.
After Michigan cut dental care to Medicaid recipients in 2003, the center began its Adopt A Smile Dental Program. In 2009, the center's dental services were further reduced, leaving only emergency extractions and care for abscessed teeth, according to the story.
Statewide, about 900 dentists participate in a similar program started in 2009 by the dental association. More dentists are needed for that program, too, the Free Press noted.
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