LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s dental pipeline is missing teeth—and a $350,000 scholarship fund is hoping to fill the gap.

With hygienist numbers still lagging after nearly one-third left the field during the pandemic, Delta Dental is awarding 35 students $10,000 each to help them finish school and get into clinics that need them. The grants also come with funds for supplies, WILX News 10 reported.

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“There are not enough hygienists, not enough dentists,” Kimberly Garland, manager of the Delta Dental Foundation, said. 

According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, Michigan has 242 federally designated dental shortage areas—regions where there aren’t enough dentists to meet local demand—more than any of the top 10 states for dental health. By comparison, states like Connecticut and Massachusetts report fewer than 60 shortage areas each.

“We’re seeing some federally qualified health centers in particular that have waitlists of 500 to even 1,000 people,” Garland said. “People are trying to get into the dentist … but there is such a wait because there is a workforce shortage.”