The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond received a $2.4 million grant from HHS' Health and Resources and Services Administration, according to Augusta Free Press.
Here are four things to know about the grant.
1. VCU School of Dentistry will use the five-year grant to buy new dental technology, introduce an updated interprofessional curriculum and expand on its ongoing efforts to treat at-risk pediatric patients.
2. The grant will provide the necessary funds for teledentistry equipment and will expand the pediatric dental residency program at two clinical care sites. The new technology allows dentistry residents to provide consultations for children in rural areas.
3. The new curriculum will allow pediatric dentistry residents to participate in the VCU Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care's educational programs while also administering dental care for children at several clinical sites. Dental students will administer care at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Piedmont Regional Dental Center in Orange.
4. The CDC reported the percentage of children and adolescents ages five to nine years of age with untreated tooth decay is twice as high for those from low-income families compared with children from higher-income households. The residents and pediatric dentists at VCU School of Dentistry aim to bridge the gap in access to dental care.
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