JDE
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Dent Educ. 73(3): 303-310 2009
© 2009 American Dental Education Association
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Holtzman, J. S.
Right arrow Articles by Seirawan, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Holtzman, J. S.
Right arrow Articles by Seirawan, H.

Critical Issues in Dental Education

Impact of Community-Based Oral Health Experiences on Dental Students’ Attitudes Towards Caring for the Underserved

Jennifer S. Holtzman, D.D.S., M.P.H.; Hazem Seirawan, D.D.S., M.P.H., M.S.

Key words: attitudes, oral health education, underserved populations, extramural dental programs

Submitted for publication 10/15/08; accepted 12/22/08

Dental students’ attitudes towards access to dental care for the underserved may be impacted by participation in community oral health promotion programs that target individuals in underserved communities. At the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, freshman dental students provide classroom oral health promotion and preventive dental care programs to underserved elementary school children. One hundred forty-four freshman dental students were surveyed three times during their freshman year—before, during, and after participation in these programs. The students’ attitudes about societal expectations, health professionals’ responsibility, access to care, and students’ personal efficacy to positively impact the need for expanded oral health care services for segments of the population were measured. Students reported positive attitudes in all categories throughout the study period. The students’ attitudes about societal expectations to care for the oral health of the underserved remained stable over the study period, but they became more uncertain of who should be responsible for fulfilling that obligation, who should receive that care, and their capability to provide this care while in dental school. These changes in attitude may reflect the students’ greater understanding of the complexity of the determinants of oral health as a consequence of their community education experiences.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Dent EducHome page
E. Bimstein, A. F. Azari, J. J. Sotto, and J. L. Riley III
Students' Perceptions About Pediatric Dental Behavior Guidance in an Undergraduate Four-Year Dental Curriculum
J Dent Educ., December 1, 2009; 73(12): 1366 - 1371.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by the American Dental Education Association.