Dental care in rural and suburban communities may be harder to come by in future years if current trends continue. Dental patients in rural and suburban communities such as Concord, MA may have a harder time finding specialty dental services such as dental implants and periodontics.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA) retiring dentists in rural and suburban areas are having an increasingly harder time finding someone to buy their practice or associates to replace them when they retire. If no one takes over these dental practices, the communities may be underserved, contributing to them slowly fading.
Part of the problem is the allure of the big city. Many young implant dentists and periodontists choose to set up shop in Boston or other metropolitan areas. Dentists find that these areas offer more financially and personally.
But some dentists are bucking the trend. Dr. Ancy Verdier of Concord Lexington Periodontics, for example, took over the practice from Dr. Friedman, a local implant dentist and periodontist. The practice is a central pillar of healthcare in the Concord and Lexington communities. Buying the practice and being willing to work in a suburban setting means that, at least for the time being, these communities continue to have access to important dental services.