Upon program completion, UCSF Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry graduates will be prepared and motivated for clinical practice and delivering care to California’s rural, underserved and most vulnerable populations. Key objectives of the program and their associated program curricula include:
Cross-Learning Between UCSF Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry
The UCSF Open Smiles Collaborative enhances the traditional didactic curricula for UCSF Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health dentists by uniquely combining coursework and training from both specialties. Examples include:
- Incorporating DPH topics into the PD curriculum. Key subject matter areas include cultural competency, oral health literacy and promotion, and social determinants of health and advocacy. Professors teaching and leading these classes include Kristin Hoeft, PhD, MPH, a noted researcher on the cutting edge of new studies in health literacy and evaluation, and Eni-Obadan-Udoh, DDS, MPH, Dr. Med.Sc., the director of UCSF’s DPH program.
- Incorporating PD topics into the DPH curriculum. Key subject matter areas include behavioral management of children, children with special healthcare needs, pediatric oral health assessments, anticipatory guidance, and atraumatic restorative techniques. This element of the program is taught and led by Jean Calvo, DDS, MPH, of the UCSF PD faculty.
