Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7443

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Publication type: Journal Article

Graham BS.
Educating dental students about oral health care access disparities.
J Dent Educ 2006 Nov; 70:(11):1208-11
http://www.jdentaled.org/cgi/content/full/70/11/1208

Abstract:

Dental educators provide learning experiences for dental students that help them develop the belief that universal access to oral health care is a social justice imperative that will compel them to provide care to underserved patients after they graduate. To accomplish these learning outcomes, dental schools first recruit underrepresented minority students and students with previous volunteerism experiences. Dental educators then expose dental students to learning experiences in the classroom and in the community, dental school-based clinics, and community health clinics, to help them to develop the requisite knowledge, values, and competencies for serving underserved populations. The long-term, educational outcomes of these learning experiences have not been assessed to date. Systematic surveys should be conducted of dentists who have had these educational experiences to measure the number who actually care for the underserved in private dental offices, community health “safety net” clinics, and the Indian and Public Health Services.

Keywords:
oral health care access, oral health disparities, dental student values education, community-based education, reflection learning MeSH Terms: Community Dentistry/education* Cultural Diversity Dental Care/ethics* Education, Dental/methods* Ethics, Dental/education* Health Services Accessibility/ethics* Humans Minority Groups Organizational Objectives Poverty School Admission Criteria Schools, Dental/organization & administration United States