This is news?

This statement from American Dental Association president Kathy Roth about the settlement in the dental health aide lawsuit was moderately mind-boggling:

It brought everyone and a very public face to a serious problem. And if anything good has come out of the litigation, it's the fact that the public and legislators and many professions understand there's a serious problem, a serious need to get care in remote Alaska.

Well, speak for yourself, Dr. Roth. If it took a lawsuit to bring the sorry state of rural dental health to your attention then you haven't been paying attention to Alaska. It's not like tooth decay in rural Alaska is a new problem.