Dental/dental hygiene trainees discuss access to care, dental training/education, treatment costs, and time. (2023)
I think they do a decent job. A few of us were in the Dental Public Health [DPH] distinction track. I think that was a great opportunity because, I mean, we watched so many videos and have so many discussions about barriers to care and improving access to care. I don’t know. I feel like I’m aware of it because of that and just because of… I don’t know. I feel like sometimes I take on people’s problems. It’s just who I am. But I feel like if I weren’t in that, I don’t know that we really get that. I mean, maybe we do. I don’t know that we get that much in our curriculum. Even that one video that they showed… I guess, last year they showed it in our DPH, and then they showed it in one of our courses with everyone. But it goes through three different families and barriers that they have. It really puts things into perspective. If you only have $200 for the month, are you going to go see the dentist? No. You’re going to pay your bills. You can barely afford to eat, all these things. It really puts into perspective that, hey, we have these patients that are canceling. Yeah, that’s frustrating. But are there barriers that are preventing them from coming to the appointment? Are they just skipping out, or is it that they don’t have a ride? Or so-and-so is in the hospital, and they don’t have money now to get here? Things change, or they’re taking care of like 10 kids. I think it really puts things [in]to perspective and makes you a better clinician because you have so much more empathy for your patients.