Second-year pre-doctoral dental students at Harvard School of Dental Medicine participated in a novel older adult rotation as part of an emergent clinical experience. Each rotation block (two hours, twice a week), students experienced didactic presentations/hands-on exercises, dental clinic and campus tours and patient interviews to address five learning objectives tailored to aging populations. Student feedback described sessions as engaging and informative. Areas for improvement included suggestions for more patient engagement and shorter sessions. This session will describe the novel rotation, share student evaluations and explore opportunities for curricular innovation at other dental schools to address older adult oral health.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the novel emergent clinical experience rotation to address older adult oral health in dental curricula.
Explain facilitators and barriers to didactic and clinical older adult oral health curricula.
Examine opportunities for short- and long-term goals to integrating early experiential older adult curricula into participants’ dental schools and clinics.
