Several dental schools are working to tackle the industry’s workforce shortages by launching new programs and increasing their training capacity.
Six updates from this year:
1. The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine launched a transfer agreement for dental hygiene graduates to continue their education. The dental school is offering graduates from a dental hygiene associate degree program at any community college in North Carolina to enroll in ECU’s Bachelor of Science in university studies.
2. The Vermont Dental Society and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry have partnered to open the largest dental clinic and training site in Vermont. The clinic will feature 49 chairs and will train 64 students each year.
3. Forest Grove, Ore.-based Pacific University launched a master’s degree program in dental therapy. This is the fourth accredited dental therapy program in the U.S., and Pacific University is the second school to offer a master’s degree in dental therapy. The new program comes after Oregon authorized dental therapy in 2021.
4. The College of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls launched a dental hygiene program. Ten students will be admitted to the two-year program every fall.
5. Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., received $3.5 million in federal funding to expand its dental hygiene program and construct a new dental clinic. The investment will allow the college to expand enrollment in the program by 40%, as well as increase access to dental services.
6. Big Rapids, Mich.-based Ferris State University appointed Deborah Brown, DMD, to lead the development and launch of a dental therapy program. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is assisting the university to create the program, which will be the first in the state, with a federal Health Resources and Services Administration oral health workforce grant.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Future of Dentistry Roundtable, taking place September 14-15 in Chicago, dental leaders and executives will gain insights into emerging technologies, practice growth strategies and the evolving landscape of dental care delivery, with a focus on innovation, patient experience and operational excellence. Apply for complimentary registration now.
