The first round of applicants in a new dental loan repayment program has been selected, with $300,000 in awards supporting three dental practices located in Southern Maine; Berlin, NH; and Brattleboro, Vt.

In 2022, Northeast Delta Dental funded the dental student loan repayment program to attract and retain more dentists in Northern New England. The program is administered by the recruitment center at Bi-State Primary Care Association, and is governed by a steering committee with representatives from all three states.

“These first three awards will ensure that the oral health needs are met for additional patients across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” said Stephanie Pagliuca, senior director, workforce development and recruitment, of the Bi-State Primary Care Association. “The funds established by Northeast Delta Dental are very flexible and can fill gaps left by other programs. … There will be additional rounds of funding available later this year through 2025.”

“After lobbying for over two decades, we finally helped usher in legislation providing the first-ever dental benefit for as many as 88,000 adults on Medicaid in New Hampshire,” said Tom Raffio, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental. “These funds will have a long-term impact in communities across the region, and patients with all types of insurance coverage, especially Medicaid, will benefit.”