DENT 4167 - Population Health and Community Dentistry Selective

[10 Credits]

Population health is based on the belief that individuals influence and are influenced by the values and beliefs of the broader community in which they live and work. Students will learn how the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, grow, and play affect their health outcomes. Students will determine how to identify health disparities and unmet needs and explore the differences in the rural and urban culture and demographics that make the recruitment of dentists in rural areas more difficult. Students will compare the social, political, psychological and economic factors affecting utilization of care in urban and rural communities and how best to develop, implement, and evaluate community-based health programs as well as financing these programs. Students will learn how to compare different types of safety net clinics, analyze administration, funding, and organizational roles, and how to work with a local organization/ institution/ agency to develop a comprehensive oral health plan for their service community. Dental professionals may apply their public health knowledge and skills to uncover these conditions in their local community and develop interventions to address them. The selective is required for students enrolled in the Dental Rural Scholars Track (RST) Program and suggested for students who are interested in specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry, Geriatric Dentistry, or Dental Public Health.