Midwestern University's College of Dental Medicine-Arizona and Rio Salado College announce a partnership aimed at creating more opportunities for dental hygiene students.

The collaboration will impact the education and careers of aspiring dental hygienists.

“The Rio Salado faculty, staff, and administration have made this partnership seamless, and we are happy to see their students on our campus,” Sheri Brownstein, Dean, College of Dental Medicine-Arizona, shared in a press release. “During their training, the Rio Salado students will help care for our growing patient base in the Dental Institute.”

The partnership addresses a critical need identified at the Midwestern University Dental Institute in Glendale, which serves approximately 15,000 patients each year. Rio Salado dental hygiene students will complete required rotations at the Dental Institute, providing additional personnel to meet the growing dental needs of the community.

The Institute is located at 5855 W. Utopia Road. Rio Salado College has campuses in Tempe, Queen Creek, Phoenix, Avondale, Surprise and Buckeye.

The inaugural cohort of 10 Rio Salado dental hygiene students began their clinical experience at Midwestern University this month. This partnership effectively increased the newest Rio Salado cohort size by a third, allowing 10 more students the opportunity to kickstart their dental hygiene education.

Furthermore, it promises to alleviate the two-year waitlist currently experienced by Maricopa Community Colleges for their dental hygiene programs, which is shared with Rio Salado.

Rio Salado College students have access to Midwestern University's facilities, including the Simulation Clinic, radiography laboratory, and patient treatment units at the Dental Institute. Students will take their courses’ web sessions alongside their classmates on the Rio Salado Campus.

A Rio Salado dental education professional will supervise the sessions on the Midwestern University Glendale campus.

This new cohort will follow Rio’s accelerated program and graduate with their Tempe-based classmates in December 2024.

Applications for participation in the program are accepted on an ongoing basis, with each cohort commencing in the fall.

Visit www.mwuclinics.com/az for information about the Midwestern University Dental Institute.