Advancing Oral Health in Physician Assistant Education: Evaluation of an Innovative Interprofessional Oral Health Curriculum

Purpose: The impact of an oral health curriculum was evaluated by measuring increases in knowledge about oral health topics and implementation of oral health skills in the clinical year. Methods: A 3-year, longitudinal oral health curriculum was developed and implement ed. Student knowledge of oral health concepts was evaluated before and 2 years after the curriculum was implemented. Student performance of oral health skills was evaluated in the clinical year by electronic patient logging. Results: Students demonstrated significant and persistent gains in knowledge following the initiation of the curriculum. Students used oral health skills in the clinical year, particularly in the area of patient education about oral health. Discussion: Incorporation of an oral health curriculum can lead to lasting knowledge about basic oral health concepts and increased performance of oral health skills in the clinical year. Feature Editor’s Note: This article, one of three presented on oral health in this issue, describes one physician assistant (PA) program’s implementation of an oral health cur riculum combined with interprofession al, interactive experience pairing PAs with dental students and faculty. Students demonstrated that the 3-year enhanced curriculum improved knowl edge and resulted in sustained learning over time and yielded practical results in clinical practice. This program’s experience also has positive implica tions for creating team-based, interpro fessional educational opportunities.