Dental Students’ Perceptions of Training for Patients with Developmental Disabilities
(PO-099) Dental Students’ Perceptions of Training for Patients With Developmental Disabilities
Sunday, March 20, 2022
1:00pm – 3:00pm EST
Location: Hall C
Author: Jeffery L Hicks, D.D.S. – Professor, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry Author: Shawn S. Adibi, D.D.S. M.Ed. – Professor, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry Submitter: Jeffery L. Hicks, D.D.S. – UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Objectives: Test the hypothesis: graduating dental students in Texas feel that they are not prepared to treat patients with developmental disabilities (DD).
Methods: All graduating students in their final month of matriculation at 3 public dental schools in Texas were surveyed regarding their willingness/preparation for providing oral health care to patients with DD. Questions assessed their post-graduation study and practice plans. Students were contacted by a dental school faculty member to present the study purpose, design, parameters and method of participation. Students were assured of no negative implications of not participating. Students electing to participate completed a ten-question paper survey whose completion required approximately 5 minutes. Survey responses included data distribution among Yes/No and Likert scale scores. Data were analyzed using One Way ANOVA with Post Hoc Testing with Tukey HSD (pairwise comparisons). Written answers were categorized and reported as summaries. Approximately 95 students were surveyed at each dental school (total 285). Sample size 243) was determined by the number of graduating dental students that elect to participate.
Results: Only 12% of students across all three schools reported caring for more than 4 DD patients, and 32.5% reported no clinical experience with DD patients. 57% of students dissatisfied with clinical training for DD patients. 79% (49 of 62) of dental students who do not plan to care for such patients indicated “insufficient preparation” was a reason. Students who plan to treat DD patients and those who do not reported different intentions to go into corporate dentistry (25.8% versus 17.1%). 30.5% of “plan to treat DD patients” respondents reported intentions to pursue advanced dental education versus 22.5% of those who do not plan to treat patients with DD.
Conclusion: Dental students in Texas generally believe their dental education in the care of patients with developmental disabilities was insufficient.
