States develop solutions to 'dental deserts' problem

Access to dental care is a serious and worsening health problem in rural America, but now many states are beginning to enact legislation that could ease the pain.

The federal government said 63 million Americans live in dental deserts – areas where few if any dentists practice – and that more than half of those are in rural areas. Hundreds of counties throughout the United States have no dentist, meaning residents often have to drive long distances for dental care.

Nebraska is among the states with a severe shortage of dentists, at least in its rural areas. The state has designated more than h...