New York's dental schools are looking for lawmakers to help them fill dozens of open faculty spots, or they risk exacerbating a looming dentist shortage.... [Faculty] vacancies mean that schools don't have the capacity to increase the number of dental students they teach at a time when many rural and urban areas are struggling to find enough dentists to meet their needs. It also means that the professionals on their staffs have less time to practice in clinics associated with the schools, which often serve low-income groups or people with complex needs, such as people who are developmentally disabled.

NYSADC is seeking a handful of changes to help address the issue, including legislation that would authorize a $40,000 a year benefit for dentists willing to spend at least two years at a New York dental school, up to four years.