Federal funding aims to bring more dentists to underserved communities

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) programme and the Teaching Health Center Planning and Development (THCPD) programme—both funded by the US Health Resources and Services Administration—are aimed at addressing workforce shortages through residency training in community-based outpatient settings. The ADA said in a press release that the programmes target gaps in the provision of dental care by providing teaching health centres with funding to support residents’ salaries and operational costs.

The THCGME programme began training residents in community-based medical residency programmes in 2011 and expanded in 2021 through THCPD startup grants to include dental residency programmes. It currently supports more than 1,254 residents in 88 community-based residency programmes, and more than 3,090 physicians and dentists, including 155 dentists in advanced general dentistry residencies, have completed training through it. Teaching health centres starting a new residency programme can receive THCPD startup grants of approximately US$500,000 (€437,000^*) to build infrastructure, develop curricula, recruit clinical teaching staff and obtain accreditation.

The ADA pointed to research showing that dentists’ educational and training pathways are associated with later practice in underserved settings. Dr Emily Hawes, director of THCGME technical assistance collaborative, said: “In order to produce a workforce that cares for some of the most rural and underserved patients across our nation, an effective way to do that is to really train them during residency and hook them on that mission.” She added: “They’re equipped for it, they’re less overwhelmed, and it becomes really meaningful and effective work.”

New residency programmes take shape

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center was among the second cohort of community health centres to receive THCPD funding. According to Dr Rothas, the grant helped the organisation prepare for accreditation and build the infrastructure needed to host residents. The centre had been working since 2022 to establish the programme and received approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation in 2025.

Dr Rothas said that the federal funding gave the centre the flexibility to invest where support was most needed, including facility upgrades, technology, development of clinical teaching staff, and recruitment efforts. She explained that the grant allowed the team to bring the health centre’s clinical and educational infrastructure up to the standard required for residents while ensuring that the improvements also supported care for local patients.

Similarly, Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix drew on THCPD funding and technical assistance after a previous institutional partnership ended. The support helped it to develop its own Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency programme.

Recruitment challenges remain

Despite the potential of the programmes, community health centres still face significant recruitment challenges. Unlike physicians, dentists in the US are not generally required to complete a residency after dental school, and many graduates move directly into private or corporate practice. According to the ADA, newer community-based programmes can therefore struggle to attract applicants, particularly when students are more familiar with hospital- or university-based residencies.

Dr Huong Le, chief dental officer at Asian Health Services in California, said that many students remain unaware of the teaching health centre model. Geography can also be a barrier, as many centres are not located near dental schools, making rotations more difficult and costly to arrange.

However, health centre leaders said that the programmes are already helping to create a longer-term workforce pipeline. Asian Health Services, which has hosted dental student externships for more than 20 years, has seen many former trainees remain in community health centre practice, and Dr Le estimated that around 70% of students and residents who trained through the organisation stayed connected to it in some capacity.

The ADA said that continued federal investment will be needed to sustain and expand the model. Health centre leaders said that the programmes not only help residents gain confidence in treating medically complex patients, but also expose them to integrated care models and the mission of serving communities with limited access to dental care.