Role of AAPHD in the dissemination of the public health dentistry competencies and curriculum for dental and dental hygiene students.

Abstract

The American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) was founded in 1937 with the mission of improving oral health. In 1950, AAPHD became the sponsoring organization of the specialty of dental public health. Since that time, AAPHD is recognized as the national leader in dental public health education. Through a grant awarded to AAPHD from the Health Resources and Services Administration titled Development and Implementation of a Model Curriculum for Pre-doctoral Dental Students to Acquire Competencies in Dental Public Health, the program directors, Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas and Dr. Kathryn Atchison and their team, identified eight core competencies in dental public health that describe the knowledge, skills, values, and behavioral objectives that each general dental and dental hygiene student should obtain in preparation for graduation and practice. Competency is defined by the AAPHD as “the level reached by the person who is initially a novice, and who, after training and experience, reaches the level where they can be competent” 1. For the specialist, this statement is defined as the “minimum knowledge, skills and values needed for an entry-level specialist to practice dental public health” 1. The competencies and the associated curriculum developed for the undergraduate student fulfill a similar competency definition with the focus on the knowledge, skills, and values needed for practice as a generalist in public health dentistry rather than a specialist. The competencies provide a foundation upon which the curriculum could be developed and educational planning would arise 2. Framed by the eight core competencies, a curriculum was developed, and modules were generated that addressed each statement. The program directors piloted the six modules that addressed 23 themes. A national speaker's bureau, which will be available on the AAPHD website, was created to identify speakers with expertise in the targeted areas of competency. Through this process, Dr. Mascarenhas and Dr. Atchison created an innovative and comprehensive model that can be adapted and adopted to educate students enrolled in dental and dental hygiene program across the United States. As president of AAPHD, it is my goal that this set of competencies and curriculum act as a stimulus to dental schools and dental hygiene programs to begin to address the notable oral health disparities and limitations in access to dental care. The curriculum that was developed will be distributed by AAPHD to dental and dental hygiene programs who are interested in integrating the model through the Association's website. As envisioned by AAPHD, this novel approach to delivering educational content can be utilized by universities and academic programs that do not have existing faculty expertise in dental public health. The curriculum provides dental and dental hygiene students with foundational knowledge in the science of dental public health and can be presented by experts in the subject area who are a part of the speaker's bureau. The depth and breadth of the curriculum allow for other creative applications to multiple learning groups. The final tool can be used to expand the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values of students who want to learn about dental public health as an undergraduate dental or dental hygiene student, for the practitioner who wants to learn more about dental public health in the workplace, or for the master's level student who anticipates a career in public health dentistry. The modules can be used as a component of a bachelor's completion or master's level program in dental hygiene. In addition, the curriculum can be used to supplement the education of individuals currently engaged in dental public health practice at either state or local government or at a community health center. The curriculum can be adapted to educate individuals to the basic or intermediate levels of competence 2. The AAPHD would be delighted to entertain proposals to improve the knowledge about dental public health among a variety of health-care professionals. There are various options for the curriculum to educate future practitioners in the art and science of dental public health. The competencies and curriculum developed from this work emphasize the role of AAPHD as an educational leader not only for the specialty of dental public health, but for the dental public health education of undergraduate dental and dental hygiene students. The author has no conflicts to disclose.