The facilitating role of mobile dental van programs in promoting professional dental education

The main goal of the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSCSA) dental van programs is to provide training in delivering care to diverse segments of the population. The UTHSCSA is the Academic Health Center for all of South Texas, a region with 25% of the State's population and 60% Hispanic. About 60% of the region's counties are federally designated dental health personnel shortage areas. Interdepartmental efforts with the participation of dental hygiene, community dentistry, oral diagnosis, periodontics and general practice carried out two programs during the 1994-95 academic year. At the Saint Philip of Jesus Clinic, a charity clinic, and at the Willows Development Center for Severely and Profoundly Mentally Retarded, the dental van was used to provide preventive and restorative care. A questionnaire to measure the value of the programs indicated that students perceived them as important educational activities which increased their confidence in treating persons in the community, especially persons with disabilities. Program output was quantitatively assessed. An average of 8 preventive procedures, 7 fillings, 2 sealants and 1 extraction or referral were provided each working day. Eighty patients were seen at the Saint Philip Clinic (2.5 visits per patient) and 130 patients were seen at the Willows Development Center. Overall, 80 students and 6 faculty participated in providing screening, treatment and referral services. Dental van programs promote access to dental care and increase the visibility of dental schools within the university and community. Current tendencies to halt new program initiatives and phase out existing programs due to shifting financial priorities should be carefully considered in view of the 1995 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on the future of dental education.