01/22/2010
Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program application process open

ODA Staff

Dentists interested in obtaining repayment assistance for educational loans while practicing in underserved areas in Ohio may begin applying for the Ohio Department of Health's (ODH) Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program (ODLRP) in January.

The ODLRP was created through an Ohio Dental Association legislative initiative in 2003 and is intended to encourage dentists to practice in underserved areas in Ohio by providing loan repayment assistance for eligible dentists agreeing to provide care in dental health professional shortage areas.

Until recently, the ODLRP was open only to dentists who had been in practice three years or less, but that limitation was recently lifted.

Other recent revisions to the program include an increase in the maximum award amount – up to $25,000 per year for the first and second years a dentist participates in the ODLRP and up to $35,000 per year for the third and fourth years.

ODLRP contracts are awarded to eligible applicants who desire to practice in dental health resource shortage areas, as determined by the Ohio director of health, or federally designated dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Areas with high population-to-dentist ratios shall have the greatest priority.

Other considerations include the applicant's background, career goals, the length of time the applicant is willing to provide dental services in a dental health care resource shortage area and the amount of educational expenses for which reimbursement is being sought.

Applicants must be engaged in the practice of general or pediatric dentistry. Persons currently receiving National Health Service Corps (NHSC) tuition or loan repayment are not eligible.

ODLRP will pay all or part of the principal and interest of a government or commercial educational loan taken by an individual for expenses incurred while the individual was enrolled in an accredited dental college or residency program, including tuition, fees, books and laboratory expenses, as well as room and board in amounts determined to be reasonable by the director of health.

Clinicians must provide dental services at the dental health site(s) they have agreed upon, practicing a minimum of 40 hours per week. Participants must agree to provide dental services for Medicaid-eligible persons and to provide dental care without regard to a patient's ability to pay. Clinicians who fail to complete their service obligation according to the terms specified in their contract will incur a penalty.

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2010, for contracts beginning in July 2010. ODLRP payments are made once yearly to the appropriate lending institutions.

Dentists can learn of vacancies in underserved areas by contacting the ODH Bureau of Oral Health Services for information on qualified sites and recruitment needs.

For more information, or to receive an application, interested candidates may visit the ODH Web site or contact Mona Taylor at (614) 466-4180 or mona.taylor@odh.ohio.gov or Sandy Brado at (330) 643-1300 or sandy.brado@odh.ohio.gov.

Information is also available online (click here). Potential job opportunities may be found at ohiodentalclinics.com.