The Maryland Department of Health is launching a new program to bring more dentists and dental hygienists to underserved communities in the state.

The Pathways to a Bright Futures initiative gives scholarships to people interested in dentistry who plan to work in Baltimore city, Maryland’s eastern shore or in rural western Maryland.

Many parts of those areas have less than 20 dentists per 100,000 people. That’s well below the national average of 61.

“This shortage creates an uneven distribution of dental professionals across the state which leads to decreased access to dental care especially in already underserved communities,” said Nilesh Kalyanaraman, the deputy secretary for public health services at MDH, during the launch ceremony in Baltimore Wednesday. “We’re seeing that a majority of Maryland dentists practice in more populated and higher income areas, creating significant gaps in access to other regions and states.”

The funds come from a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration.

The grant lasts for four years.

The dental industry is facing workforce shortages that are harming oral health across the country.

About 60% of dental practices reported staff shortages and retention issues, according to the American Dental Association.

Additionally, dentists are struggling with low reimbursement rates from insurance companies and insurance gaps in Medicare and Medicaid.