The Virginia General Assembly has allocated $20 million to expand career and technical education programs in the state, including dental hygiene programs, according to a July 29 report from WCYB.
The budget includes $1 million to create a fund that will support the expansion of dental hygiene programs in Virginia.
State Sen. Todd Pillion is aiming to have a new dental hygiene program in Southwest Virginia ready by August 2027 that will graduate 10 to 15 students annually.
Virginia has a deficit of about 1,000 dental hygienists, the report said.
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