Dental Public Health Programs

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Within the dental public health programs, there are studies designed to prepare dental academic research hygienists and dentists. These preparations include administrative, supervisory, research and academic carriers. Master of public health degree is also administered by the school of public health. A PHD in epidemiology science can also be accessed through the school of graduates studies.  The dental public heath programs admissions are only available to dentists and dental hygienists .

Master of Dental Public Health  Programs M.P.H.

The Master of Public Health in dental public health programs degree, involves 60 credit hours for the students. This 60 hour degree is offered for at least 4 terms to dental hygienist and dentists.  A bachelor of science degree or equivalent is required in addition to some field experience. 

The American Dental Association accredits the 60 hour curriculum. The course meets all the educational requirements. The four major fields in the 60 credit hour dental public health programs are:

• School requirements : Basic epidemiology bio-statistics course
• Breadth requirements : These are fulfilled by  studying courses outside specific focus of epidemiology .
• Departmental requirements : This includes prevention of oral diseases, administration in dental public health programs. An infectious or chronic disease course, three advanced bio-statistics courses, epidemiologic methods and computers and dental software for epidemiologists.
• Integrative and capstone courses include :  Planning and evaluation of field experience in dental public health programs.

Students in Dental Public Health Programs are encouraged to take as many courses in epidemiology department or dental health background elsewhere. This enables them to gain further knowledge and skills based on their interests and carriers. Molecular epidemiology, nutrition, social epidemiology and international health courses are advantageous. Doctor of Philosophy degree is available in department of epidemiology.  Dentists or dental hygienist with a MPH degree or equivalent degree qualify to apply.

Advanced Dental Residency Education and Community Health in Dental Public Health Programs ADREACH

This program was designed from the school of public health and school of dentists. The innovative program combines training in dental public health programs with a dental residency in community dental health programs and clinics.  Dentists with license to practice dentistry are eligible for this program.

Employment is available with stipend and fringed benefits offered to students. A minimum of one year is allowed for the funding of the stipend. The community health centers pay for travel and living allowances, including the tuition for the M.P.H. The ADREACH program takes around 26 months to complete. Students receive a Master of Public Health degree.

Goals of dental Public Health Programs

Three goals are evaluated at the residency level and three after completion of residency.

• Residents should know and understand the knowledge base of dental public health programs.The knowledge competency are divided into two sets including:
• Local dental program administration and health policy.
• Research methods and epidemiology.
• Disease prevention and oral health promotion.
• Delivery systems for oral health services.

The demonstration of skills needed in dental public health programs by the residents.

Skill competencies include the ability to:

• Design oral heath programs for populations
• Determine interventions and strategies to prevent and control oral diseases and to promote oral health.
• Create resources to implement and carryout health programs for populations.
• To in calculate ethical standards into oral health activity and programs
• Scrutinize and monitor dental care systems.
• To design and comprehend the utilization of surveillance systems that monitor oral health.
• To collaborate and communicate with individuals and groups about oral health issues.
• Evaluate, advocate for and implement public health policies and regulations, thus protecting and promoting public oral health.
• To synthesize and critique scientific literature.
• Design and carry out population based studies that answer oral health and public health questions.

Residents will attain professional development skills required for leadership in dental public health programs .  Candidates for the public health programs PHD, MPH, or certificate must already hold a DMD, DDD or MD degree.  The program may occasionally accept an applicant with only a bachelors degree for the PHD track.

The duration of the program is usually three years. Candidates with only a bachelors degree enrolling for the PHD program should expect to spend four years in the program. Candidates holding a MPH degree or its equivalent may finish the studies in two years.

Certain qualifications have to be met for students to be admitted for the advanced graduate education program. HSDM and HSPH in education health programs should be applied for. In advanced dental public health programs students must be approved for both HSDM and HSPH.