(PO-012) Dental and Dental Hygiene Students' Interest in Disability-related Continuing Education

Author: Tommy Lau – Predoctoral Student, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Author: Marita R. Inglehart, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Submitter: Tommy Lau – Predoctoral Student, University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Objectives: Lifelong learning is a necessity for providing optimal patient care. The objectives of this study were to explore first-year dental and dental hygiene students' interests concerning disability-related Dental Continuing Education (DCE) courses. 

Methods: Web-based survey data were collected from 98 of the 109 first-year dental students and 17 of the 18 first-year dental hygiene students at a Midwestern Dental School with a Dental Hygiene Program during the Fall Term 2019.

Results: Eight content areas based on the free monthly disability-related DCE courses offered at this dental school between 2002 and 2019 were identified. These topics were: special health care needs/disabilities (e.g., developmental disabilities), chronic diseases (e.g., asthma), mental health (e.g., depression), oral health (e.g., cleft lip and/or palate), pain (e.g., TMD), determinants of health (e.g., gender), communication (e.g., oral health literacy), care settings (e.g., prison). The students were most interested in oral health-related disability topics (Answer scale from 1=not at all to 3 = very much: Mean=2.68) and least (Mean=2.23) in learning about social determinants of disability-related oral health. In response to the question how much they wanted to attend disability-related CE courses in the eight content areas, their responses matched the attitudinal responses. Again, the disability-related oral health topics were most positively rated (Mean=2.63) and the social determinants of disability-related oral health were least positively rated (Mean=2.16). When asked which types of speakers they would like, the most positive response was that they would like to have outside guest speakers (Mean=2.77) compared to faculty members (Mean=2.50). The dental and dental hygiene students' responses did not differ. 

Conclusions: Both first-year dental and dental hygiene students are most interested in learning about disability-related oral health issues and least in the role of social determinants of health in this context. Inviting guest speakers from outside the dental school was highly desired.