The Civil Service Commission in Michigan agreed to create a new $5,000 bonus for dentists who complete a year-long probationary period at a state facility, according to the Lansing State Journal.
This new bonus is on top of the already existing $5,000 signing bonus for state-employed dentists. The signing bonus has been in place since 2005. The goal is to attract more dentists to work in state hospitals and prisons.
Currently, there are four dentists employed through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at psychiatric hospitals. As of Dec. 10, there were 15 open positions for dentists, with a majority of the openings at prisons.
Dentists working at state facilities earn between $38 and $60 per hour. This is a stark difference between dentists working in the private sector, who earn around $150,000 annually, according to data from the Michigan Dental Association.