Florida Dental Affiliation secures funding to roll out pupil mortgage reimbursement program – State of Reform

The Florida Dental Affiliation (FDA) has secured funding to implement a dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program that goals to draw dentists to work in underserved areas.

The state legislature approved the creation of FDA’s dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program in 2019, and workers have been working to safe funding for it since then. They acquired excellent news on Monday, when the legislature dedicated to allocating $2 million in recurring funding to implement this system. Funds may even assist the FDA’s Donated Dental Services program, which recruits volunteer dentists to supply free providers to seniors and people with disabilities.

FDA Chief Legislative Officer Joe Anne Hart instructed State of Reform that the motivation to implement a dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program stems from a realization that too many Floridians face challenges in accessing routine dental care.

“Or (they) are in ache and searching for care in hospital emergency departments the place they solely get antibiotics to deal with dental infections, however not a definitive remedy for the reason for the an infection,” Hart mentioned. “There may be not a scarcity of dentists in Florida. Lots of of dentists graduate from Florida dental colleges annually. Nevertheless, they’re graduating with a mean of $300,000 in pupil mortgage debt, and that’s driving them to apply in areas the place they will earn sufficient to cowl that debt.”

Establishing a dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program will carry dentists to areas the place they’re wanted most, Hart mentioned.

“Collaborating dentists could also be eligible for $50,000 a yr to assist repay their loans and serve in this system for as much as 5 years,” she mentioned. “Florida is one in all solely 5 states with no dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program. The return on funding for this program can be important, as it’ll assist decrease the quantity of people that flip to the emergency division to alleviate dental ache.”

A dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program shouldn’t be new to Florida, as a similar program existed within the Nineties, Hart mentioned. However that program was defunded and brought out of the state’s statute greater than 20 years in the past.

“We’ve seen firsthand that dentists who take part in a pupil mortgage reimbursement program can keep and construct a apply in that space,” Hart mentioned. “And we hear from Florida dental faculty graduates and college students that there’s a robust curiosity in participation if this program have been to be reestablished.”

Now that funding has been secured, each the dental pupil mortgage reimbursement and Donated Dental Providers applications could possibly be applied inside six months, Hart mentioned.

“And Florida dentists may begin serving to hundreds of sufferers in want this yr,” she mentioned. “As much as 10 dentists may enroll within the dental pupil mortgage reimbursement program, which might require them to apply in public well being applications and serve low-income sufferers in designated rural and underserved areas. In a single yr, these 10 dentists can serve a mean of 15,000 to twenty,000 sufferers.”

The funding may even assist the Donated Dental Providers program broaden its community of volunteer dentists and dental labs to serve sufferers, Hart mentioned.

“Presently, greater than 500 dentists and greater than 200 dental labs volunteer with this program,” she mentioned. “Extra volunteer assist is required although, as this program at present has a waitlist of roughly 900 Florida sufferers. This funding (will) assist assist hiring two full-time coordinators to develop volunteer recruitment efforts and concentrate on these areas the place there’s a waitlist for providers.”

The FDA can be making an attempt to ascertain a state-funded veterans dental care grant program by House Bill 635.

“Presently, veterans don’t qualify for dental care by the US Division of Veterans Affairs as soon as they go away energetic obligation until they’re 100% disabled,” Hart mentioned. “As a part of the FDA Basis’s annual Florida Mission of Mercy volunteer dental clinic occasion, veterans have the chance to pre-register to obtain precedence care, and annually we see a whole bunch of veterans join this care.”

A number of charitable organizations throughout the state present or join Florida veterans with oral well being providers, Hart famous.

“There’s a important want,” she mentioned. “And this grant program can be administered by the Florida Division of Veterans Affairs for organizations to use for funding to assist cowl bills to supply care to veterans without charge.”

The legislature offered $500,000 in funding to assist the 2024 Florida Mission of Mercy, which is held in a unique metropolis annually. Earlier occasions held in Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tallahassee, and West Palm Seaside have offered greater than 13,000 sufferers with donated dental care valued at greater than $13.5 million.