Community-service and Pediatric Dental Education: A 10-Year Review of Treatment

Objectives: Oral healthcare is the most unmet need in children and early childhood caries is the most common infectious disease that children face. Program directors have reported that 67% of dental schools have an inadequate pediatric patient pool for competency. Service learning is a possible area to enhance predoctoral students’ training. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) the Lowry-Clinic was established in 1930 and is supported financially by UMKC as a community service that works to bus underserved urban children to the clinic for comprehensive care. The objective of this investigational study was to identify treatment trends from the Class of 2005 and 2015 in which pediatric patients from the Lowry-Clinic were compared with the typical pediatric patient pools from the UMKC-School of Dentistry’s Pediatric Clinic
Methods: This study reviewed clinical records from UMKC for the Class of 2005 and 2015. Procedures were categorized into: Diagnosis/Prophylaxis, Pit-and-Fissure Sealants, Composite Fillings, Amalgam Fillings, Pulp Therapies, Crowns, Extractions, and Space-Maintainers. Procedures were analyzed by Class Year and Setting to identify treatment trends and clinical experiences
Results: The Lowry-Clinic has experienced an increase in P&F Sealants, Composites, and Space Maintainers and a decrease in Diagnosis/Prophylaxis, Amalgams, Pulp Therapies, Crowns, and Extractions from the Class of 2005 to 2015. The UMKC-SOD-Clinic has experienced an increase in Diagnosis/Prophylaxis, P&F Sealants, Pulp Therapies, Extractions and Space Maintainers and a decrease in Composites, Amalgams, and Crowns from the Class of 2005 to 2015. The Lowry Clinic experienced an increase in total procedures performed while the UMKC-SOD-Clinic experienced a decrease in total procedures performed.
Conclusions: Service learning experiences offer predoctoral students more clinical procedures with pediatric patients. Pediatric dentistry at UMKC is experiencing a shift towards preventive care. Supported by UMKC SOD Summer Scholars Program.