Growing the Dental Workforce to Serve Rural Communities: University of Washington's RIDE Program.

GERIATRIC dentistry; DENTAL schools; DENTAL students; HEALTH services accessibility; HEALTH status indicators; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; RURAL population; HUMAN services programs

Older adults constitute a growing percentage of the rural population in the United States. This cohort is at special risk for oral health problems because access to dental care is an ongoing challenge in rural America. The University of Washington School of Dentistry's Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program delivers intensive, community-based education that prepares dentists to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations, including the growing number of rural elders. Of those graduates who have completed their training, 70 percent are practicing in rural or underserved areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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