CSBJ Daily

Colorado’s dental workforce is aging – at least in the rural areas of the state.
The Colorado Health Institute released a report that shows nearly half of dentists in rural areas were 55 or older, compared to 37 percent of those working in urban areas.
Other findings include:
1. No significant income differences between urban and rural dentists
2. The majority of dentists do not accept Medicaid in both urban and rural areas – and of those who do, most are not accepting new Medicaid patients
3. More than half of rural dentists see Child Health Plan Plus children, while only 30 percent of urban dentists see patients with CHP+
4. Nearly 48 percent of dentists in rural areas still accept CHP+ patients, only 28 percent of urban dentists accept the low-income program.