04/13/2026
Where Dental Students Can Impact National Security
FORT RILEY, Kansas (April 13, 2026) — A Soldier’s lethality is measured on the battlefield, but their ability to get there can be determined in a dental chair. Fort Riley is leading change with the creation of new partnerships with civilian institutions to support the 1st Infantry Division.
The installation sits within both Geary and Riley counties, two areas federally designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. This local shortage has the potential to affect access to care for Fort Riley families and retirees residing in the Greater Flint Hills area.
Dental problems can also impact the effectiveness of a unit.
“If a Soldier has a toothache in a deployed environment, that can affect their concentration, their ability to sleep, ability to eat, and, at times, it can become an emergency,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Amano, Commander of Fort Riley’s Dental Health Activity (DENTAC). “If a Soldier must be medically evacuated for a dental problem, that will significantly degrade a unit’s combat power. So dental readiness is paramount to building and sustaining combat power.”
Despite having Army dentists assigned to Fort Riley, the system relies on a balanced workforce to remain effective.
“Civilian dentists are the crucial link that stabilizes the team,” Amano said. “As military dentists, we have requirements for training and potential deployments. Civilian dentists serve as a bridge during those times. Additionally, with shortages across the military, civilian providers help sustain care during fluctuations in PCS cycles.”
To address both access to dental care and long-term recruiting challenges, DENTAC and Irwin Army Community Hospital are inviting civilian dental students to complete clinical rotations on post. The effort is a partnership with the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Dentistry, bringing future providers into a region many have never experienced.
By showcasing the mission and the community, DENTAC and IACH leaders intend to encourage participants to join the Fort Riley team as civilian dentists or to establish practices in the underserved local area.
“Dental providers typically don’t have a full appreciation of what the greater Flint Hills region offers,” Amano said. “This externship addresses that lack of exposure.”
Kansas is one of the few states without a dental school, a disadvantage that limits the pipeline of providers willing to practice in rural areas like Fort Riley.
Tim Nguyen was one of those students at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
A fourth-year dental student, Nguyen had spent months treating patients in a public health clinic in Kansas City before arriving at Fort Riley for a five-week rotation. He had never traveled farther west than Topeka, the state capital just an hour's drive from Kansas City.
“I came in with a lot of unknowns,” Nguyen said. “But I wanted to make the most of the opportunity.”
Thanks to the people he met here, those uncertainties were put to rest.
“What surprised me most was how welcoming everyone was, from the leadership to the providers,” he said. “They took the time to bring me in, show me around, and invest in my experience.”
But what really stood out for him was the mission.
In civilian and public health settings, Nguyen said, treatment decisions are affected by a patient’s ability to pay.
“At other clinics, you have to factor in insurance and financial limitations,” he said. “Here, that’s not a limiting factor. You can focus on what’s best for the patient.”
This focus on patient need, rather than profit, is a cornerstone of Army dentistry.
“Army dentistry is not a for-profit venture,” Amano said. “We’re focused on giving patients the best treatment that we can to the highest standard. We do not consider whether the patient can pay or not. We only consider how it impacts the mission and the Soldier.”
Nguyen also observed the unique patient population. At Fort Riley, he primarily treats healthy, young adults whose care is organized around readiness.
“You can see it in how everything is organized,” Nguyen said. “The goal is to get Soldiers to a level where they won’t have dental issues that affect their mission.”
That includes consolidating treatments, minimizing repeat visits, and prioritizing urgent care to ensure Soldiers are deployable.
Beyond mission focus, Nguyen found the clinical experience itself distinct. Soldiers are required to meet medical standards, which contrasts with the more medically complex cases he encountered in an urban public health clinic.
“With healthier patients, you can focus more directly on the procedure,” Nguyen said. “There are fewer complications to manage, which changes how you approach care.”
He also noted the pace and volume of treatment.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to get hands-on experience here,” he said. “You’re seeing cases and doing procedures that might be less common in other settings.”
That includes complex treatments often limited elsewhere by cost or referral requirements.
Expanding the number of civilian dentists in the surrounding community would also have a direct impact on Fort Riley’s readiness mission.
“This would benefit Soldiers in two ways,” Amano said. “First, it increases our ability to refer care through the Active-Duty Dental Program. Right now, we’re limited because local providers are already at capacity. Second, it improves access to care for family members and retirees in and around Fort Riley.”
While there is no obligation for students like Nguyen to join the Fort Riley DENTAC or remain in the area, the exposure is intentional.
“We want them to see the value of what we do,” Amano said. “Whether that leads to joining us or practicing locally, it contributes to improving access to care.”
Nguyen said the experience has already expanded his perspective.
“I would definitely consider this kind of environment,” he said. “The structure, the mission, the camaraderie…it’s something that stands out.”
Fort Riley | 1st Infantry Division | Dental Health Command-Central | Defense Public Health | Defense Health Agency | Medical Readiness Command, West | UMKC
