Vermont State Dental Society, University of Detroit Mercy, Sanders, and Welch Announce Historic Effort to Advance Dental Care and Education Across State

BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vermont State Dental Society (VSDS), University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Peter Welch are partnering to bring an innovative Dental Oral Health Education Center to Vermont in Fall 2027. This new dental clinic and education program would bring UDM students to Vermont to complete their final years of training – strengthening the dental care provider pipeline and expanding access to much-needed care across the state.

At a recent press conference, VSDS, UDM, Sanders, and Welch celebrated the program receiving its accreditation from the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) – an essential step in establishing the teaching program in Vermont.

Sanders and Welch are working to secure $4.6 million in federal funding through the FY25 Congressionally Directed Spending process to support this historic initiative. The funding was recently approved by the Appropriations Committee and needs to be passed by the House and the Senate before being signed into law by President Biden.

The tentative location for the new center will be in Chittenden County.

VSDS, a nonprofit professional healthcare organization whose mission is to improve the oral health of Vermonters and to serve the profession of dentistry in the state, is pioneering the new institution with UDM as it brings more than 90 years of experience in educating dentists worldwide.

Beginning in the fall of 2025, this partnership will include two years of foundational and preclinical education at the UDM School of Dentistry Campus in Detroit, followed by two years of clinical and didactic education at a new dental clinic based in Colchester. The Detroit Mercy-Vermont dental program will offer DDS dental education in the state of Vermont, accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA).

University of Detroit Mercy-Vermont will house modern classrooms with on-site clinics to support its clinical education program and serve as a public health Medicaid clinic to provide dental care to qualifying individuals. Extending its reach beyond its Colchester facility, the new dental program will partner with clinical organizations in Vermont to reach areas with a shortage of dental health professionals and underserved populations.

As Vermont's professional association for dentists, the VSDS works diligently to enhance the oral healthcare environment in the state. With just under 400 members, VSDS includes more than 80% of the state's practicing dentists. VSDS provides resources, educational information, and support for its members and the public and advocates for public policies and systems to improve oral healthcare for all Vermonters.

University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan's largest and most comprehensive independent Catholic university, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). For more information, please visit www.udmercy.edu.

SOURCE University of Detroit Mercy