Few dental graduates are choosing to practice in rural areas, thereby aggravating the shortage of dentists in rural communities. The aim of this study was to identify factors that may motivate dental and dental therapy students to commit to rural practice. This qualitative study used a triangulation of data sources: students' reflection papers on their rural community experience, transcripts of focus groups with students, and personal statements submitted by three cohorts of student participants in a rural dentistry program in a U.S. dental school in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Common themes emerged in each data source, and a congruence of themes from the three data sources was identified: corrected misconceptions of rural dental practice, the gravity of lack of access to care, quality of relationships between practitioners and patients and within the dental team, and the role of dentists in alleviating health disparities. Students cited the critical role dentists play in stimulating interest to consider dentistry as a career and in inspiring rural practice after graduation. Immersion in a rural community under the mentorship of a rural dentist may correct misconceptions and attract students to rural practice. This study's results suggest that dental schools need to provide students with more opportunities to witness the practice of rural dentists and experience rural living in order to draw them towards rural practice after graduation.

The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of community‐based experiences for senior dental and dental hygiene students through the use of critical incident essays. A total of 108 senior dental students and 22 senior dental hygiene students were invited to participate in the study. Each student was required to write about one critical incident that occurred at one of four community clinic rotation sites during the 2012‐13 school year. The participation rate was 78% of the students. Professional responsibility, a willingness to volunteer, and an understanding of the importance of oral health education were the main themes that emerged from analysis of the essays. These results suggest that community‐based learning, with reflection, challenged how these students perceived oral health disparities and expanded the meaning of professional responsibility for them.

Objectives: To explore schoolteachers' knowledge about oral health, their perception of their role as oral health educators, and their preparedness to teach oral health in rural public schools. Methods: We conducted a survey of 119 schoolteachers in four public elementary and middle schools in rural Minnesota during spring semester of 2019. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data. Results: Sixty percent of 119 teachers participated. Schoolteachers have knowledge about basic oral health hygiene but have limited awareness about fluoride and periodontal disease. Correct agreements to the fluoride statements ranged from 23 percent to 87 percent and 23 percent to 70 percent agreed correctly to statements about periodontal disease. They prefer passive roles in oral health education. There was a high rate of agreement (51-83 percent) to integrate oral health topics with subjects taught in classrooms. Conclusions: Schoolteachers see themselves as integrating oral health topics in the subjects they currently teach but will need further training to augment their limited knowledge of oral health.