Dorothy K L Koh, Archana Pradhan, Melanie J Aley, Woosung Sohn, Delyse M Leadbeatter
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose/objectives: The shortage of dental practitioners willing to treat people with disability has become a significant concern, attributed mainly to inadequate undergraduate education and clinical experience in special needs dentistry (SND). Working closely with dentists, the Oral Health Therapy workforce is highly skilled in preventive dentistry, and they could provide dental services to enhance accessibility for people with disability. This study aimed to assess the current state of SND education within oral health programs and highlight the importance of high-quality SND training to prepare oral health graduates to manage the dental needs of people with disability.
Methods: A total of 39 oral health institutions offering undergraduate programs in Oral Health Therapy, Dental Therapy, and Dental Hygiene from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland were selected. An online survey was distributed in March 2024, to collect data on the status of SND education, teaching methods, clinical training opportunities, and curriculum resources.
Results: Survey responses from eleven institutions (28% response rate) revealed variability in the current status and comprehensiveness of SND education. Some programs offered dedicated courses, while others provided only a limited overview. The SND teaching and instructions are primarily provided by qualified dental hygienists, dental therapists, and oral health therapists with specialised training and experience in disability (73%). Classroom-based instruction was the most common teaching method, with limited clinical training opportunities.
Conclusion(s): The findings emphasise the need for standardised guidelines to ensure consistency and adequacy in SND education across oral health programs. Enhancing clinical training opportunities, promoting interprofessional collaboration, and expanding educational resources are essential steps toward improving oral health care for people with disability.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Dental Education (JDE) is a peer-reviewed monthly journal that publishes a wide variety of educational and scientific research in dental, allied dental and advanced dental education. Published continuously by the American Dental Education Association since 1936 and internationally recognized as the premier journal for academic dentistry, the JDE publishes articles on such topics as curriculum reform, education research methods, innovative educational and assessment methodologies, faculty development, community-based dental education, student recruitment and admissions, professional and educational ethics, dental education around the world and systematic reviews of educational interest. The JDE is one of the top scholarly journals publishing the most important work in oral health education today; it celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2016.
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