Community Dentistry

Public Health Dentistry will provide a framework to train third year dental students on the basic concepts of dental public health and to better prepare students to meet the oral health needs of the US population as dental providers. This course aims to increase the public health knowledge and competencies of students through the eight dental public health competency areas outlined by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD).

This course is available for credit in the Spring and Fall semesters for the third-year dental student. The class is split into 2 sections, with one half taking the course in each semester. The interdisciplinary Health Care Ethics course introduces students to ethical and bioethical issues confronting healthcare providers in the context of health care delivery and research. Through a series of interdisciplinary lectures, the course introduces students to theories and principles of bioethics and familiarizes them with the moral foundations of patient-provider relationships, professionalism, relevant ethical and legal considerations, and the concepts of moral reasoning. The course enables students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to identify and analyze ethical dilemmas and to construct well-reasoned responses to the dilemmas. By utilizing the Bebeau Grid method to collect and analyze case information, students will refine their critical thinking skills through reading, writing, discussing, and resolving the case material presented in the small group class sessions. Emphasis on collaborative dialogue between and among student participants in the various health disciplines represents the hallmark of this course.