Pedagogy/Andragogy

Teaching Students How Oral Healthcare Barriers Affect Older Adult Patients

Monday, March 13, 2023

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST

Location: OCC - Oregon Ballroom 203, Level 2

CE: 1

Micro-Credential: Promoting Critical Thinking

Presenter(s)

Leonardo Marchini, D.D.S. M.S., Ph.D.

Case Western Reserve University

PDF
Olga Ensz, D.M.D., M.P.H.

University of Florida College of Dentistry

PDF
Rohit Nair, B.D.S., M.D.S.

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics

PDF
Annetty Soto, D.M.D.

UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry

PDF

There is consensus among clinicians and researchers on the role of societal factors in a person’s ability to maintain appropriate health. Older adults represent a heterogeneous group with varying income levels, medical status, family support and quality of life, among other issues. The aging of our population has already made it a necessary skill for dental school graduates to be able to manage the oral health needs of older adults. This session focuses on how dental schools teach students to recognize the barriers preventing older adult patients from achieving and maintaining adequate oral health.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the need to modify dental school curriculum by teaching ways to identify barriers faced by older adults in obtaining oral health care.
Develop activities to enable students to analyze such barriers and modify their approach to geriatric dental care on an individual basis.
Identify other areas of the dental curriculum where students explore the concept of equitable access to oral health care for vulnerable groups.