Cultural competency in dental education: developing a tool for assessment and inclusion.

Purpose/objectives: This study aimed to assess the cultural competency content in selected Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) courses and to explore the use of an assessment tool that may be used to standardize the integration of cultural competency in the dental school curriculum.

Methods: A survey was sent to course directors to determine the inclusion of four topics related to cultural competence, the mechanisms of inclusion, and their comfort level in teaching the topics in their courses.  A scan of the same courses was conducted with the use of a tool developed from an Expert Panel's recommendations for knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) to be included in curricula for teaching cultural competence.

Rural schoolteachers' knowledge about oral health and perceived roles in oral health education.

Objectives: To explore schoolteachers' knowledge about oral health, their perception of their role as oral health educators, and their preparedness to teach oral health in rural public schools.

Methods: We conducted a survey of 119 schoolteachers in four public elementary and middle schools in rural Minnesota during spring semester of 2019. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data.

Dental and Dental Therapy Students' Perspectives on How to Build Interest in and Commitment to Rural Dentistry.

Few dental graduates are choosing to practice in rural areas, thereby aggravating the shortage of dentists in rural communities. The aim of this study was to identify factors that may motivate dental and dental therapy students to commit to rural practice. This qualitative study used a triangulation of data sources: students' reflection papers on their rural community experience, transcripts of focus groups with students, and personal statements submitted by three cohorts of student participants in a rural dentistry program in a U.

Dental School Faculty Attitudes Toward Dental Therapy: A Four-Year Follow-Up.

This study is a follow-up to a 2010 study at one U.S. dental school that found faculty attitudes toward the dental therapy model were mixed and there was a clear divide in attitudes between faculty members who were full-time educators and part-timers who also practiced outside the educational institution.

Dental school faculty perceptions of and attitudes toward the new dental therapy model.

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry launched its new dental therapy program in September 2009 after the Minnesota state legislature had authorized the training and practice of a dental therapist in May of the same year. The creation of this mid-level dental provider is seen as a workforce solution to help address the problem of access to dental care experienced by some members of our society. However, there is a lack of consensus and even controversy in organized dentistry about dental therapy, one of the mid-level provider models.

Beginning the socialization to a new workforce model: dental students' preliminary knowledge of and attitudes about the role of the dental therapist.

The purpose of the study reported here was to assess first- and second-year dental students' knowledge of and attitudes about the role of the dental therapist in the oral health care delivery system. The results of this study are informing the continued development and implementation of a new dental workforce training model at the University of Minnesota. Dental students at the university (Classes of 2012 and 2013) were surveyed in 2009, with follow-up surveys planned for the subsequent five years.

Socialization of new dental therapists on entering the profession.

Dental therapy is relatively new in the United States. This qualitative study examines the experiences and impressions of the inaugural class of the first dental school-based dental therapy program in the United States. A grounded theory design using open-ended interviews and focus groups was carried out with the nine students in the class at the beginning of their program and after the fall and spring semesters of their first year.

Towards building the oral health care workforce: who are the new dental therapists?

In 2009, Minnesota Governor Pawlenty signed into law a bill approving the creation of a new dental team member: the dental therapist. The intent of this legislation was to address oral health disparities by creating a dental professional who would expand access to dental care in Minnesota. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of the first class of dental therapy students at the University of Minnesota and to ascertain the values and motivations that led them to choose a career in dental therapy.

Does peer mentoring work? Dental students assess its benefits as an adaptive coping strategy.

Dental students deal with various stressors while in dental school. While some develop adaptive coping skills, others may suffer from damaging effects of constant and increasing levels of stress. This study evaluated a peer mentoring program at a dental school in the Midwest to determine student perceptions of its benefits and to identify areas for improvement.

What dental schools can learn from college experiences of American Indian students.

American Indians continue to be underrepresented in dental education. They also remain an understudied group. This qualitative study used interviews to explore the positive and negative experiences of thirty American Indian college students studying at a large public university; these students from eighteen tribal nations ranged from eighteen to forty-four years of age.

Developing a tool for systematic inclusion of non-academic factors in dental school admissions: towards building diversity in the dental workforce.

This retrospective study aimed to determine the ability of a self-designed evaluation instrument to identify applicants who should be invited for an interview and to assess applications including non-academic factors in a consistent and systematic manner. The instrument was constructed using information culled from the American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (ADEA AADSAS) applications including academic (DAT, GPA) and non-academic qualifications (work experience, volunteer and extracurricular activities, rural and ethnic background, essays). Weights were assigned to each item assessed.

Parental involvement in recruitment of underrepresented minority students.

Recruitment of underrepresented minority (URM) students to dental schools has had limited success, so dental schools need to reach out to high school students with programs to extend the pipeline. The Short Term Enrichment Program (STEP) of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine adds a new dimension to these efforts by involving parents, who directly or indirectly impact their children's career decisions. The program consists of an introductory two-day course that includes presentations of the dental profession, laboratory, and virtual classrooms.

Atraumatic restorative treatment for prevention and treatment of caries in an underserved community.

We evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of atraumatic restorative treatment to prevent and treat caries in an underserved community in Mexico. We placed 370 restorations and 193 sealants in 118 children aged 5 to 18; 85% reported no pain, and 93% were comfortable with their restorations. We then evaluated the children 1 and 2 years later.

Effective recruitment and retention strategies for underrepresented minority students: perspectives from dental students.

This study was designed to identify reasons underrepresented minority (URM) dental students select a dental school and to determine the factors that contribute to their resolve to complete their programs. A survey questionnaire developed from interviews with URM students was sent to Minority/Admissions Officers or deans of dental schools that enrolled URM students for distribution to their minority students. A total of 198 questionnaires were received from minority students in all levels of dental school.

Strategies for recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.

In 1989, the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (UPSDM) found there was an urgent need for new programs that would be effective in recruiting highly qualified and talented underrepresented minority students and ensuring their retention. Major efforts focused on leadership, financial support, institutional commitment, and the creation of an inclusive environment. UPSDM also offers an accelerated program leading to combined bachelor's and dental degrees and has agreements with several undergraduate institutions, including Xavier University in Louisiana and Hampton University, to enroll students in this program.

Transnational licensure: foreign dentists in America reclaim their profession through the Program for Advanced Standing Students (PASS).

The Program for Advanced Standing Students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine accepts highly qualified individuals who have earned a dental degree in a foreign country. They earn an American dental degree in two years, following a program that is nearly identical to the final years of the traditional DMD program. PASS students have been highly successful in their educational program and they contribute in diverse ways to the dental profession upon graduation.