HAMPTON, Va. — Virginia is facing a shortage of dental hygienists. Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) is trying to help address that with the college's dental hygiene program.
The program ended in 2024 due to a lack of funding.
As of September 2025, the college was working on legislation to send to the Virginia General Assembly to try to get funding to restart the program knowing how much of a demand there is for it.
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VPCC Academic Affairs Vice President Dr. Kerry Ragno said the demand stems from a lack of dental hygiene programs in Virginia, in part because the faculty salaries and needed equipment are very expensive and accreditation requirements are tough.
“What we envision, what we would love to do, is increase the size and scope of the program. We would love to double the size," Ragno said about the college's program. "We worked closely with the Virginia Dental Association and also Delta Dental Foundation to really understand what is the true annual cost of this program and what delivery models might truly be sustainable."
Karen Carlisle is a dental hygienist in Hampton. She said the shortage of dental hygienists is also due in part to the pandemic, which she says caused many to get out of the business, and workplace politics that hygienists, specifically, often have to deal with.
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Hygienists are important because they do a lot of work dentists don't want to do, according to Carlisle.
Without hygienists, dentists can get backed up, which could increase the amount of time it takes to get an appointment to see a dentist.
Carlisle came to Hampton hoping to teach at VPCC.
Virginia Dental Association CEO Ryan Dunn said Virginia is not alone in needing dental hygienists and the association is working hard to address the need in the state.
When VPCC's program would restart if and when funding is approved was unknown as of Tuesday, but Ragno said the goal was to start as soon as possible.
