Healthy teeth are an important part of overall health.  Unfortunately, dental health is hard to come by in many rural areas of Oklahoma. Part of the problem is there just aren't many dentists in these rural areas, but another big part of the problem is awareness.

Now, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry and the American Dental Association are launching a pilot program right here in Oklahoma aimed at solving the dental health care crisis in these areas.

The OU College of Dentistry will train 18 Community Dental Health Coordinators as part of the five year pilot program, with the effectiveness of each participant and the overall program evaluated each step of the way.

Six individuals have already been selected from remote areas of Oklahoma. Researchers say they were chosen because of their strong connections to the communities in which they live and because they live in communities burdened by high levels of poverty with few dental health professionals available to provide care.