Promoting Your Teaching Health Center Dental Residency

A Guide to Dental Resident Recruitment & Pipeline Development

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Promoting Your Teaching Health Center Dental Residency

This guide provides a practical, step-by-step framework to help community-based dental residency programs attract, engage, and recruit mission-driven dental students into training opportunities in rural and underserved communities.

 

Here's an overview of what's included in this toolkit:


Compile Your Unique Selling Points

Teaching Health Center Benefits and Impact

  • What is Public Health Dentistry? 
  • Types of THC Community-Based Outpatient Clinics
  • Community Impact of Teaching Health Centers

Residency Program Benefits

  • Why Consider a Dental Residency at a Teaching Health Center? 
  • Benefits to You as a Dentist
  • How a Residency Complements Dental School
  • Who Is This a Good Fit For?

Showcase Value Beyond Clinical Training

  • Financial Advantages
  • Professional Advantages
  • Mission & Community

Strategic Marketing & Outreach

  • How to Use Your Unique Selling Points in Outreach 
  • Effective Marketing Strategies to Build Awareness, Trust, and a Pipeline

Marketing Strategies to Reach Students

  • Build a Strong Campus Presence
  • Leverage Peer-to-Peer Influence
  • Utilize Digital Campaigns
  • Optimize Your Web & Recruitment Funnel
  • Attend Student Conferences & Sponsor Events
  • Create a Pipeline From Pre-Dental to 4th Year
  • Offer Rotations + Externships
  • Collaborate With Rural & Public Health Organizations


Marketing Calendar & Recruitment Funnel


Core Activity Ideas for Your Marketing Calendar

  • January - April: Awareness & Infrastructure Development (Pre-Application Phase)
  • March - May: Application Kickoff & Early Interest
  • May - August: Application & Interview Promotion (Peak Recruitment Period)
  • September - October: Pre-Ranking Influence Period
  • Late October – Early November: Final Recruitment Push Mid-November Post-Ranking / Phase II Outreach December – Early January: Match & Pipeline Development
  • Why This Matters


Why Teaching Health Center Dental Residencies Matter

Teaching Health Center Dental Residencies Offer:

  • Broad, real-world clinical training
  • A mission-driven career path
  • Strong mentorship and support
  • Financial and career advantages
  • Meaningful community impact

Bottom Line: Teaching Health Center dental residencies don’t just train dentists—they develop skilled clinicians, community leaders, and long-term contributors to the healthcare workforce.