Abstract
Purpose: With the emergence of COVID-19, and the potential inclusion of dental benefits in Medicare, it is critical that dentists are able to engage in legislative advocacy to support public oral health. Dental education has an opportunity to teach advocacy skills to future dentists, although advocacy training in predoctoral dental education has been largely ignored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fourth-year dental student's attitudes toward advocacy, identify the type and extent of advocacy experiences during dental school, and assess their future intentions to engage in advocacy.Methods: An electronic questionnaire was administered to fourth-year dental students enrolled in their final semester at Ohio State University.Results: Forty-seven students completed the survey (43% response rate). Most (84%) respondents agreed that advocacy training should be a required experience in accreditation standards for predoctoral dental education. Over half (58%) reported seldom or no exposure to legislative and regulatory processes in oral health policy development in the curriculum. Students who participated in grassroots advocacy efforts while in dental school were more likely to contact legislators regarding dental issues (p = 0.005) or public insurance (p = 0.037), and participate in future lobbying efforts (p = 0.019). Students who contributed to PAC while in dental school were more likely to express intentions to contribute in future (p = 0.005).Conclusions: There is limited exposure to legislative advocacy in predoctoral dental education. Dental students with advocacy experience are more likely to report intentions to participate in advocacy as dentists. Dental education has a critical role in preparing future dentist-advocates.
Highlights
Physicians have long recognized their roles as advocates
Most (96%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed that advocacy for community oral health beyond the dental school is an appropriate role for dental students
Eighty-four percent agreed or strongly agreed advocacy training should be a required experience in Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) predoctoral education standards (Table 1)
Summary
Physicians have long recognized their roles as advocates. Twenty years ago, the American Medical Association adopted a declaration of professional responsibility that called on all physicians to “advocate for social, economic, educational, and political changes that ameliorate suffering and contribute to human well-being” [1, 2]. Advocacy Education of medical practice, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in the US and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada recognize training in advocacy as a critical component of graduate medical education [2, 3]. In 2013, the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) recognized the importance of health advocacy by pediatric dentists and incorporated advocacy training into educational standards of Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry [7]. The standard calls for didactic and clinical training because “pediatric dentists serve as the primary advocates for the oral health of children in America” [8]; residents need to be adequately trained to assume this role competently. Pediatric dentistry specialty training must provide residents with opportunities for legislative advocacy and participation in organized dentistry to represent the oral health needs of children, the underserved [8]
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