Rural dental residency program in New Hampshire created a pipeline of young dentists to serve in remote areas

Just a few years after launching a successful dental residency program in the state of New Hampshire that trains dentists to care for vulnerable patients in remote regions of the Granite State, the program is facing an uphill battle. The one-year residency program offered by Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), and funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has not received funding from the federal government since April when the administration announced it would freeze research funding to Harvard.

“The rural residency program, which trained residents to provide rural-based care, particularly to medically complex and special needs individuals, has already treated 2,454 patients in New Hampshire for a range of services including comprehensive care, special needs, medically compromised, and emergency care,” said Christine Riedy Murphy, associate professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at HSDM, and principal investigator for the grant. “We were recently notified that our competitive renewal to expand the program was successful; however, no funds have come through.”

In just its third year, the program was considered a promising model for rural states facing dental workforce shortages and areas considered dental deserts. It’s designed to address training gaps in rural healthcare delivery and increase the number of dental providers in the state—New Hampshire is a state without a dental school, lacking a built-in workforce of young dentists ready to fill dental practices as dentists near retirement. 

The program attracted early-career dentists, like Dr. Sara Alibakhshi, who just finished her residency in May. 

“I had the privilege of working with community health organizations, where I experienced firsthand the transformative power of outreach and service. We visited community centers, shelters, recovery programs, and local organizations where I conducted dental screenings and provided oral health education,” Alibakhshi said. “These experiences have had a profound impact on me, both professionally and personally. It’s moments like these that remind me why I chose this path—to make a difference where it’s needed most.”

Through a partnership with the Bi-State Primary Care Association, dental residents in the program rotate between seven rural clinical care sites affiliated with Bi-State, including Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHC’s) and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). 

“The residents have allowed us to greatly expand the volume of patients we see, including more time for emergent care. Plus, many of these patients can now receive comprehensive care, rather than the episodic care they were used to in the past,” said Dr. Stephen Hoffman, a dentist at one of the clinical sites. “Our medical colleagues are thrilled to have them in the community. It brings another level of access to care that local physicians are appreciative of.”

Residents in the program receive a stipend that was provided through the HRSA funding, allowing the program to attract new dental graduates who may otherwise go directly into private practice after graduation. Without the funding being restored, it threatens the program’s ability to recruit and train new residents. 

“Two new residents were able to start in the program this July; however, beyond that if funding is not restored, we will need to look for alternative sources to keep the program afloat,” said Riedy Murphy.

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