Principal Investigators: Pamela Linder, Clinical Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry, School of Dentistry.
Laura Romito, DDS, MS, MBA, FNA, Associate Dean of Education and Academic Affairs, Professor
Project Title: Creation of a Special Care Dentistry Elective Experience to Expand Student Competency and Interest for Care of Adults with Special Healthcare Needs in the Dental Workforce
Funding Level: $5000
Abstract: In July of 2020, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) implemented new standards for the education of predoctoral students stating, “Graduates must be competent in assessing and managing the treatment of patients with special needs.” With the intent that a “patient pool should be available to provide experiences that may include patients whose medical, physical, psychological, or social situations make it necessary to consider a wide range of assessment and care options…” This standard has been challenging for predoctoral dental education nationally, and, despite meeting this standard at IUSD, the limited exposure students receive has not been enough to meet patient demand and create a drive for new graduates to treat these populations upon graduation. Teaching future dental providers the skills needed to achieve acuity in the dental profession is core to our mission. Therefore, the ability to provide access to dental care for vulnerable populations, those with intellectual and developmental disability, as well as individuals with underlying or acquired medical complexity, must be further embedded in the academic and patient care goals of the school. For those students hoping to impact these populations in their communities after graduation, an enhanced experience is being proposed, as a two-week immersive Special Care Dentistry Elective, to help guide dental students in how to routinely treat adult patients with special health care needs. If successful, this would help IUSD expand such educational initiatives to more students and allow the curriculum to stay ahead of a curve driven by educational standards and patient needs.