Dental Pipeline Project

Based on the May 2000 Surgeon General’s report "Oral Health in America” and the American Dental Association’s "Future of Dentistry Report”, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF,) decided that increasing access to dental care for underserved populations who suffered the worst oral health (e.g., untreated oral diseases like tooth decay) should begin in America’s dental schools. The underserved populations for purposes of the RWJF grant include:

• Patients with family incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level
• Patients with medical disabilities or chronic illness
• Patients residing in geographically isolated or medically underserved areas
• Patients with limited literacy due to language and cultural barriers or those who have trouble navigating the nation’s health care system
• Patients confined to residential settings

For more information on the national RWJF and CE Dental Pipeline Program, visit http://dentalpipeline.org.

The University of Washington (UW) is working to reduce oral health disparities through its educational, research and patient care programs. The UW Dental Pipeline Project seeks to:

• Supplement the existing behavioral and clinical coursework in a manner that prepares students more adequately for their community clinic experiences,
• Increase the number and scope of clinical experiences in the treatment of targeted patient populations (children, elderly, disabled adults) in community-based clinical facilities,
• Expand recruitment programs for underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students to increase diversity within the profession, thus improving access and utilization of oral health care by underserved populations, and
• Collect outcomes data that evaluate the effectiveness of the curricular, clinical, and recruitment changes implemented during the program, and beyond.