Project lead: Nick Tong, Oral Health Sciences
Co-applicant: Chris Wyatt
Project description
The Canadian population is aging. The World Health Organization has identified ageism, both in society as well as amongst health care workers, as being a barrier to optimal health for older adults. The Faculty of Dentistry has allocated dedicated curricular time for Geriatric Dentistry in Year 3 and 4 of the DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) program, Graduate Specialty programs (Prosthodontics and Periodontics), and post-graduate hospital training programs. This includes didactic and clinical curricula. I am interested in measuring the impact of our Geriatric dentistry curricula on student’s ageism attitudes, using a validated Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS).
Research questions
- To what degree does curriculum in geriatric dentistry affect student’s scores on the ASDS (Ageism Scale for Dental Students)?
- What elements of the curriculum have the greatest impact on ageism attitudes amongst dental students?
- Can our curriculum in geriatric dentistry be improved to better serve older adults in British Columbia?