Dental Therapy Program Still Nonexistent in Vermont

Vermont State University had ambitious plans to establish a dental therapy program. However, despite 7 years and an investment of more than $2.5 million, the program remains unrealized, as revealed in an investigation by the Vermont state auditor. The program was supposed to train students as dental therapists in order to address critical workforce shortages in the state’s healthcare sector. Regrettably, the project encountered extensive delays, and the substantial sum of nearly $2.7 million, sourced from both public and private funds, failed to materialize into a functional program. Numerous factors contributed to the protracted delay, including inconsistent administrative support, internal institutional conflicts, ongoing reorganization within the Vermont State College System, staff turnover, and the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read more.