A learner-centered global oral health education approach

Abstract

The present research indicates an increased interest in global health among dental students. We focused on developing our future dental practitioners with the skills and capacity to treat underserved populations as international experiences. This pilot explored the perspective of dental learners regarding global oral health knowledge who had experienced mission trips. Participants were assessed with a validated global oral health survey to understand their existing knowledge. Gaps in training were noted and a global oral health interactive module was created to address international community service learning approaches. Later, all students who intended to participate in a global oral health education or mission trip were administered the same validated pre-test. Finally, on the completion of mission trips or global oral health experiences, the same post-global oral health questionnaire survey was administered to assess knowledge gained. Thirty-two dental students (Female = 18 and Male = 14) and learners who had completed mission trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic were invited to complete the pre-survey. Twenty-seven students completed the pre-survey in its entirety. About 41% (11/27) were not aware of developed and developing countries’ oral healthcare systems. Participant dental learners (56%) expressed limited cultural competency. They also expressed the lack of global health ethics (52%) awareness (knowledge). Results indicated that students benefited from a structured global oral health module, where their perspectives shifted positively. The results suggested that a shift from “mission trip” perspectives to a global oral health readiness is feasible as a student empowerment approach.