Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE)
RIDE: Bringing Dental Care Where It's Needed
The innovative Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program at the University of Washington School of Dentistry channels dental graduates to rural and/or underserved areas of Washington state. RIDE has already made a major impact, with about 75 percent of its graduates practicing in these areas -- far above the national average for dental graduates. This video shows how the program works, and why RIDE students and faculty are so strongly committed to its mission.
The RIDE Program in Montana
Montana Student Dental Rotations
Beginning with the Class of 2015 through the Class of 2026, UW DDS students have been training in providing clinical care at rural community health centers, tribal, and IHS dental clinics across Montana. To date, they have contributed the following:
Montana Grant & UW Sponsored Rotations: 138
- Dental Procedures: 10,163
- Dental Patient Encounters: 5,471*
- Total hours of dental care: 24,320
*Patient encounter totals for July 2014 – December 2019 were estimated using confirmed encounter data from January 2020 – 2026.
If implemented, the Montana RIDE Program would realize similar patient care numbers as the existing Washington RIDE Program, shown below:
RIDE Class of 2025: 8 WA Sponsored Rotations
- Dental Procedures: 4,786 (annually)
- Dental Patient Encounters: 3,469 (annually)
- Total hours of dental care: 6,080 (annually)
RIDE Mission: Develop dentists who will make a personal commitment to serving the needs of rural and underserved.
