Imagine living in a place where there is no dentist or dental program.

Even if you have severe dental health problems, there is nowhere to go — except for the one time a year when a dentist may come to your village.

This is the problem many native Alaskans are facing. The UW is taking part in helping to solve this issue through a program training dental therapists to work in remote areas.

"This is the first dental therapy program in the United States," said Ruth Ballweg, director for MEDEX Northwest, a physician assistant program closely involved with the Alaska initiative.

The UW was a logical choice, said Ron Nagel, the dental consultant for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The state of Alaska already has a reciprocal agreement with the school for training physicians and physician assistants, he added.

This program is designed to last two years.

The first year will be composed of lectures from various professors and the second year will be at a regional medical center where students will be involved in internships overseen by professional dentists.

"The UW will provide lectures for the first year," Ballweg said.

Professors will be from a variety of dental and medical backgrounds.

Martha Somerman, dean of the School of Dentistry, said the UW will be "involved for a year to create a very strong preventative program."

After completing the program, graduates will be placed in villages in the hopes of improving the oral health care in the area.

Although 40 countries already have a program similar to this in place, the idea is controversial in the United States. The discrepancy lies in what a dental therapist is or is not allowed to do.

"They will provide basic dental health services, especially for children, such as basic dental health care and dental procedures," Ballweg said.

According to the Alaska Native Tribal Consortium Web site, therapists are trained to do cleaning, filings and uncomplicated extractions. All the work they do is under the supervision of a professional dentist at the regional hospital.

There are 11 dental therapists practicing in Alaska. These therapists had to go to New Zealand to receive their training.

However, upon returning to their native Alaska, the American Dental Association sued the therapists in hopes of blocking their procedures.

Even amid the controversy, the UW plans to continue with involvement in the program.

A primary goal of the program is to "train dental therapists to provide services in rural Alaska," Nagel said. "Access to oral health care is an issue. The poor and underserved have difficulty getting oral health care."

Somerman agreed.

"Some areas have gained a better handle on oral health care, but dental health is not considered or recognized as important except for children," she said. "In the future the focus [will be] on the preventative side."

Reach reporter Shannon O'Hara at news@thedaily.washington.edu.edu