The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) launched the national program Pipeline, Profession & Practice: Community-Based Dental Education (more commonly known as the Dental Pipeline program) in 2001 to help dental schools increase access to dental care for underserved populations. Over five academic years (2002–03 to 2006–07), 15 dental schools (four of which were funded by the California Endowment):

• Increased the time senior students and residents spent in community-based clinical education programs.
• Revised dental school curricula to support community-based education programs.
• Took action to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students.

Key Results

• All 15 participating dental schools increased the length of time that senior students (and residents in California schools) spent in community-based dental rotations from an average of 10 days at the beginning of the program (2002–03) to an average of 52 days in 2006–07. Four schools achieved the program goal of 60 senior student days in community rotations.
• All participating dental schools made changes to their curricula to prepare students for their community-based dental rotations. Changes included adding courses or integrating new content into existing courses, especially on community dentistry, patient management and communication/cultural sensitivity.
• Applications from and enrollment of underrepresented minority students at participating dental schools increased between 2002–03 and 2006–07, excluding Howard University, College of Dentistry, and Meharry Medical College, School of Dentistry, the two historically black dentals schools:
  • Applications increased by 77 percent, from 1,831 to 3,249.
  • Enrollments increased 54.4 percent, from 90 to 139; as a proportion of the entering class, underrepresented minority students increased from 7.7 percent in 2002–03 to 11.7 percent in 2006-07.
• By contrast, enrollment of underrepresented minority students in all of the non-Dental Pipeline schools, excluding the dental schools at Howard University, Meharry Medical College and the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico, increased by only 16 percent (from 281 to 326 students).
• Almost all senior students participated in community rotations.

Program Management
The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery (and then its Center for Family and Community Medicine) served as the national program office for the Dental Pipeline program. The program had co-directors: Allan J. Formicola, D.D.S., M.S., at Columbia and Howard L. Bailit, D.M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Connecticut. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, evaluated the program between 2002 and 2008.

Funding
In April 2001, the RWJF Board of Trustees authorized Pipeline, Profession & Practice (the Dental Pipeline program) for up to $19 million for 72 months. The California Endowment partnered with RWJF to include all five California dental schools in the program, investing $6.3 million. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided $1 million, administered by the American Dental Education Association, for scholarships to participating students at the RWJF-funded schools.

Program Continuation
In April 2007, the RWJF Trustees authorized renewal funding of up to $4 million for the Dental Pipeline program for 36 months. The Center for Family and Community Medicine is managing the program in its renewal authorization.

This report covers the first authorization of the program only; the Challenges for the Future section describes the program going forward.