(St.Paul, MN) -- A new report by the Minnesota Department of Health shows more than half of third-graders have tooth decay. State Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger says the state needs to explore ways to bolster Minnesota's dental workforce, get more providers to work with low-income families and provide better access to affordable dental insurance. He says they've focused on developing new kinds of providers and expanding the practice of dental hygienists. Between 2007 and 2010, there were 148-million dollars billed in emergency room charges for preventable conditions that could have been treated by a dental provider in a more appropriate setting.(MNN)