Federal investments through two U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs -- the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) and Teaching Health Center Planning and Development (THCPD) programs -- are funding community-based dental residency programs designed to recruit and retain dentists in rural and underserved communities, according to a June 2 ADA News article.
Since 2021, the THCPD program has provided startup grants of approximately $500,000 per awardee to help community health centers build residency infrastructure, develop curricula, recruit faculty, and obtain accreditation. The THCGME program currently supports more than 1,254 residents across 88 community-based programs nationwide, including 155 advanced general dentists who have completed training since the dental track launched.
Research consistently shows that health professionals trained in underserved settings are more likely to practice in those communities long term. One recently published study of more than 56,000 dentists found that training-related factors were significant predictors of whether dentists ultimately practiced in federally qualified health centers, dental shortage areas, and rural underserved communities.
Residents in community health center programs may also qualify for loan repayment through the U.S. National Health Service Corps and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Program leaders cautioned, however, that long-term sustainability depends on continued federal investment, noting that additional startup funding is still needed to expand the model to more communities.
