Workforce Overview
You can’t improve oral health without the people who provide it. Virginia faces a serious and growing oral health workforce crisis — and the communities bearing the greatest burden are often those already facing the greatest barriers to care.
More than 100 Virginia localities are or have been designated dental health professional shortage areas. Dentists graduate with an average of $296,500 in educational debt — a financial reality that strongly influences where they choose to practice. Only 27% of Virginia’s dentists treat Medicaid members. The result is a health system where need and access are fundamentally mismatched.
Catalyst works to close that gap through policy advocacy, workforce planning, and solutions that make it more viable — and more attractive — for oral health professionals to serve the communities that need them most.
Solutions
A strong health workforce means more Virginians get care. We champion training, loan repayment, and innovative care models that expand access in underserved communities.
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The Future of Public Oral Health Taskforce brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders — from dental schools and community health centers to state agencies, payers, and advocacy organizations — to develop and advance actionable recommendations for strengthening Virginia’s oral health workforce.
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One of the most effective tools for addressing workforce shortages is loan repayment. When oral health providers can get relief from the significant educational debt they carry, they are far more likely to practice in underserved areas — and to stay there.
Catalyst has championed the Virginia Oral Health Loan Repayment Program, a $1.6M investment that would support annual loan repayment awards for 20 dentists and 20 dental hygienists in return for practicing in Virginia’s most underserved communities. Administered by the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, participating providers must practice at a safety net clinic or a private practice serving Medicaid members.
Evidence from other states supports this approach: 82% of safety-net clinic administrators report that loan repayment programs improve recruitment. In Kansas, 50% of program participants continued practicing in underserved areas even after their obligation ended.
