CCRI Partners with Providence Community Health Center and Children’s Fund in New Initiative to Expand Pediatric Dental Care

WARWICK, R.I. — The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) will expand access to pediatric dental care in Providence through a new initiative in partnership with the Providence Community Health Center (PCHC) and Children’s Fund.

As part of a $2.7 million grant awarded to PCHC, CCRI dental hygiene faculty and students will deliver mobile, school-based, and community-based screenings, sealants, fluoride varnish, and oral health education. This initiative creates a direct referral pathway, connecting Providence’s most vulnerable youth to specialized pediatric dental care.

The initiative was announced as part of a broader $7.9 million investment from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 6/10 Children’s Fund, administered in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation, to address health disparities in communities impacted by the Route 6/10 connector project.

Nearly 40% of Rhode Island children face barriers to accessing dental care, and untreated dental disease remains one of the most common chronic conditions among children. This program helps address those challenges while strengthening the pipeline of trained dental professionals in Rhode Island.

“We are excited to partner with the Attorney General’s office and the Rhode Island Foundation to expand dental services to improve the oral health of young people in Providence,” said Merrill Thomas, PCHC’s president and CEO. “This grant funding will enable PCHC and our project partners to deliver hard-to-access oral health services to an additional 3,000 children annually.”

By integrating CCRI’s clinical expertise with PCHC’s pediatric infrastructure, the program ensures that dental decay -- which affects one in three Rhode Island kindergartners -- is met with a proactive, community-based solution.