Students Present at Hispanic Student Dental Association Conference

Pre-doctoral students Brett Skillett, Michelle Pinon, and Aura Rivera presented a research project at the Hispanic Student Dental Association National Conference. The topic was aimed at the Hispanic Community in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas.

The main goal of this study was to quantify the success rate of dental school outreach programs that address communities based on their oral health needs. To achieve this, students used a questionnaire designed to track key metrics and oral assessments to substantiate if the type of outreach program used was successful. The questionnaire tracked each patient’s trajectory before and after visit to assess any potential progression of disease that may require referrals.

The surveys reflected patient’s demographic information, the number of teeth with untreated decay, history of dental caries, sealants in permanent molars, dental emergencies, and total number screened. A supplementary document included oral hygiene instruction for patients.

A statement from the students and their faculty mentor Eva Chiang, DDS, stated:

“We are hoping that the success of this program may lead to long-term development of an oral health surveillance system in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties supported by future grants. The survey forms will allow the prospective longitudinal study to observe and survey outcomes from outreach programs in collaboration with dental schools to alleviate caries incidences in Hispanic populations.”

Posted 07/03/22