title: Preparing dental students to treat patients with special needs: changes in predoctoral education after the revised accreditation standard.
abstract: In its accreditation standards published in 2004, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) adopted a new standard, to be implemented starting in January 1, 2006, stating that "Graduates must be competent in assessing the treatment needs of patients with special needs." The literature shows that academic dental institutions have a history of underpreparing students to deal with the increasing population of individuals with special needs. The purpose of this study was to survey the then-fifty-four accredited U.S. dental schools to determine what if anything had changed since the deadline for implementation of the new standard. If dental schools' efforts to meet this standard were found to be incomplete or ineffective, the result may be an even greater shortage of services for this population and will point to the need for additional efforts in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Student Development, Baylor College of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246-8133, USA. JClemetson@bcd.tamhsc.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Clemetson
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ernestine S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lacy
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bolin
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003740:Dental Clinics; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000592:standards*; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000193:education; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011647:Puerto Rico; D012575:Schools, Dental / Q000592:standards; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States