Hal Jeter has been a family dentist in South Point, along the river where Kentucky and West Virginia meet Ohio, for nearly 30 years. He knows the dentist can be scary for kids, so he does his best to make tooth extractions and cavity fillings fun.
On an August day, he put a sealant on a very brave second grader, bringing levity into each prod of her teeth.
“Open up really big, like an alligator,” Jeter said as he began the preventative treatment. “This is magic paint because it goes on pink, and we shine a blue light on it and then it turns white.”
She’s just one of many patients he’ll see on this packed day. His office has lost three dental hygienists in the last year. It’s increased the workload on the remaining staff and limited the amount of Lawrence County residents he can see each day.
“We have unfortunately had to cancel, everyday, 10, 11, 12 patients just because we don’t have the hygiene capacity to get them in for their cleanings and their exams,” he said.
Source: Ohio doesn’t have enough dentists. It causes a lot more than bad breath / The Ohio Newsroom