(72) Integration of Clinical Periodontics Education in a Comprehensive Care Dental Program

Introduction: Major curricular changes have been implemented in most U.S. dental school shifting away from discipline-based education and increasing the focus on patient-centered comprehensive care. As a result, periodontics faculty in some dental schools are challenged with limited clinical interactions with dental students. In addition, the curriculum required further adaptations with the implementation of the 2017 Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions.

Methods: At the University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA) a pre-doctoral periodontics clinic was established, aimed to overcome these challenges and embrace new opportunities. The periodontics clinic allows third year dental students to see patients under specialist faculty supervision. The design and implementation of the pre-doctoral periodontics clinic comprised of the course design, logistical analysis, and execution (figure 1) while maintaining and applying the Commission of Dental Accreditation standards (figure 2).

Results: This initiative engaged patient care, student learning, and faculty development at UTHSA. The clinical periodontal instruction was personalized to the students’ educational experience and applied a person-centered model. Chair utilization and clinical production in both the comprehensive Dentistry and Periodontics Departments were increased. Students and faculty both noted enhancement in the periodontics education and clinical skills. Patients appreciated the advanced care received from experts in the field.

Conclusions: Overall, the pre-doctoral periodontics clinic positively affected the students’ education. It enhanced their preparedness to challenge competencies more confidently, allowed them to further explore their interest in periodontics as a career after graduation, and facilitated their understanding of when to refer to specialists.

Lead Author's Contributions to the Research Project. : The Lead Author was responsible for initiating the project, data collection, design of the project, analysis of results and outcome, and the composition of the abstract.