By Michael Grass
Route Fifty
This is the second installment in a semi-regular series of posts looking at the statistics that shape state, county and municipal governments and the communities they serve across the United States.
Here are some statistics that are unlikely to be highlighted in any Pure Michigan promotional materials.
A new report released by the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health and the Center for Health Workforce Studies shows that limited access to oral health services continues to be a problem in the Great Lakes State, with disproportionately affected areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Peninsula and in the city of Detroit. There are also significant gaps in oral health care access for seniors, pregnant women and low-income adults and children.
That’s despite “a seemingly adequate supply of dental professionals on a per population basis,” according to the report. “In 2014, there were almost 7,700 dentists and approximately 10,500 dental hygienists licensed to practice in Michigan.”
Some key takeaways from the announcement are nothing to smile about:
Read full coverage here.