The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a previously unheard-of disruption in the US and the NC healthcare industry, and medical personnel. The labor market for dental assistants and dental hygienists has tightened significantly, and many dentists in the state are finding it extremely difficult to fill these positions.
Through a grant from the Dogwood Health Trust, the NC Dental Society Foundation awarded scholarships to students enrolled in the Dental Assistant and Dental Hygiene programs at three community colleges in Western North Carolina. These scholarships supported 60 students in allied dental programs at recognized community colleges throughout the state as a means of addressing the state’s lack of dental professionals.
