Stephanie Pagliuca used to joke that she would retire once New Hampshire got a dental residency program, but now, she’s finally getting her wish.
“It turns out I’m not ready to retire yet,” said Pagliuca, who does workforce development for Bi-State Primary Care Association, which works with health centers across New Hampshire and Vermont.
New Hampshire’s first dental residency program could be up and running as soon as next month, bringing three new dentists per year to rural New Hampshire clinics that are short staffed in areas like Keene and Bristol. These clinics see many of the state’s low-income and older patients with significant dental issues.
It’s Pagliuca’s hope that some of the residents will stay in New Hampshire to practice after their year-long program ends, which could help alleviate the shortage of dentists that has caused some rural clinics, like Mascoma Community Health Center, to pause dental services.
Source: New dental residency program to bring dentists to rural health centers in N.H. / nhpr