The UW鈥檚 community collaborations span the state. In recent months, the School of Dentistry has offered care in, and, alongside monthly service days at Union Gospel Mission in Seattle and quarterly mobile clinics. Patients receive oral health exams, fillings, tooth extractions and cleanings.听

鈥淭he work we do in communities across the state is a great example of why the 91探花is often called the University for Washington,鈥� said Andr茅 Ritter, dean of the 91探花School of Dentistry. 鈥淭hese programs and partnerships advance the mission of the 91探花and the School in significant ways through education and clinical care.鈥澨�

The clinics are organized through the School鈥檚 Office of Educational Partnerships, which is solely focused on improving the oral health of people in the Pacific Northwest. OEP coordinates outreach programs that address the distinct needs of each community. Dental students have the opportunity to serve in outreach clinics or act as mentors for middle- and high-school students, encouraging them to pursue dental education and eventually serve their own communities.听听

Dental students typically begin seeing patients near the start of their third year. At the UW, however, students have the opportunity to work in clinical settings in underserved communities the summer after their first year through the听听

The School also offers a specific educational track that trains dentists to work in rural and underserved communities. Operated in conjunction with Eastern Washington University and the 91探花School of Medicine, the program 鈥� 鈥� has seen over 80% of its graduates return to rural and underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest.听

鈥淥ral health is an essential part of overall well-being, and everyone deserves access to high-quality dental care,鈥� said , a 91探花clinical associate professor of pediatric dentistry and director of the Office of Educational Partnerships. 鈥淲e recognize that it is our duty and privilege to serve those who need it most.鈥澨�

听The 91探花School of Dentistry will continue its service and outreach programs throughout the fall and winter quarters. For more information or to learn about upcoming service days, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Dr. Ritter will replace , who is retiring for health reasons.

Currently a professor in New York University鈥檚 College of Dentistry, Dr. Ritter has extensive clinical experience in various settings, from private practice to community public health clinics. He has served as executive dean of the University of North Carolina鈥檚 Adams School of Dentistry, as well as chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at NYU. He maintains a private dental faculty practice through NYU, as he did for 18 years at UNC.

鈥淥ver the past few years under Dean Gary Chiodo鈥檚 leadership, the School of Dentistry has made significant progress in addressing its financial challenges. And, with Dr. Ritter鈥檚 impressive record of leadership in the clinical realm, we are confident that he will continue to improve the School鈥檚 facilities and revenue models and advance the School鈥檚 long-term financial picture,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淭hroughout the interview process, Dr. Ritter expressed his commitment to strengthening the 91探花dental community, both within and beyond the University, and we look forward to supporting his work in that.鈥�

The 91探花School of Dentistry is widely recognized as one of the top programs in the country and the world. The school, established in 1945, has a strong foundation steeped in research, clinical care, education and service.

鈥淒entistry is rapidly evolving, and schools and programs have to adapt and innovate to be successful,鈥� Dr. Ritter said. 鈥淭o lead the 91探花School of Dentistry and further elevate its status as a leader in global oral healthcare education, innovation, research and care delivery, and to do so while advancing the mission of one of the world鈥檚 preeminent public universities, is an unparalleled opportunity.鈥�

As department chair at NYU, Dr. Ritter led 300 faculty members and was responsible for staffing at all dental clinics and 14 group practices. He created and facilitated diversity, equity and inclusion open forums and trainings, and led his department through COVID-19 accommodations and modifications to ensure that students could take courses required for graduation and promotion.

At UNC, where Dr. Ritter oversaw a school-wide operational budget of $70 million, he was responsible for IT; human resources; diversity, equity and inclusion; faculty development; clinical compliance and infection control; institutional effectiveness; facilities and infrastructure; faculty promotion and tenure; wellness; continuing education; and dental faculty practice board. Dr. Ritter also served as chair of the UNC Department of Operative Dentistry and led the department through its successful 2017 CODA accreditation site visit.

His research interests include diagnosis and management of tooth decay, conservative and minimally invasive restorative dentistry, esthetics, dental adhesion and composite resin applications.

Dr. Ritter earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, his Master of Science in operative dentistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his Master of Business Administration in health-care administration from Northeastern University in Boston, and his doctorate in dentistry from Universidade Positivo in Brazil.