We’re always talking about the importance of oral health – encouraging you to schedule your preventative care visits, providing info on how oral health is directly linked to your overall health, and opening up dialogue on the oral health barriers in our communities, both in our state and across the country.
But there’s still more that can be done.
In fact, a 2020 Washington Department of Health Survey of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants found that:
- Hygienist positions remain open for an average of 4 months;
- For every 1 hygienist looking for employment, there are over 4 positions waiting to be filled;
- King and Snohomish counties had the greatest demand, with over 550 open positions at the time the survey was conducted;
With hygienists in short supply, the strain on our state’s dental care system grows, impacting the ability of dental offices to schedule patients and for dentists to provide quality care to their communities.
Which is why we’re excited to announce a $1 million grant to the University of Washington School of Dentistry in support of the institution’s partnership with Shoreline Community College’s Dental Hygiene Program.
“When the Seattle King County Dental Society approached us about the challenges at the Shoreline Community College Dental Hygiene Program, we knew we needed to do something,”said Delta Dental of Washington President and CEO Mark Mitchke.
“Given our partnership with the Washington State Dental Association, we have made a commitment to address the dental hygienist and assistant workforce shortage in Washington state. Ensuring that our state’s future dental hygienists have access to high-quality education is the first of many activities we will embark on together.”
Dean Gary Chiodo of the UW School of Dentistry explains that not only will the grant allow for the renovations necessary to accommodate the expansion of Shoreline’s program at the UW, but by having dental students and dental hygiene students learn and practice together, they get a taste of the way they will work together in dental offices after graduation.
Along with the grant, Delta Dental is offering a $500,000 challenge grant to match funds raised by dentists and dental hygienists in the area. “Obtaining a match to the challenge grant will enable aspirational planning for even larger class sizes to better serve our state,” Dean Gary Chiodo of the School of Dentistry and President Cheryl Roberts of Shoreline said in a joint statement.
“This is an exciting time for the advancement of oral health in Washington,”the two leaders said,“and the Shoreline-School of Dentistry partnership is exactly the right combination at the right moment.”
To read the press release in full, head on over to the University of Washington School of Dentistry’s website.
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