A 30-year review of a geriatric dentistry teaching programme

A multi-faceted construct to guide geriatric dental education: Findings from a scoping review with consultation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Older adults report unmet oral health care needs and barriers in access to care, due in part to provider attitudes and discomfort towards treating older patients. Our study asked: What is known from the literature about the use of undergraduate dentistry programmes to influence dental students' attitudes, perceptions and comfort towards treating geriatric patients? And how can interdisciplinary care facilitate the ability of dentists to work with geriatric patients?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review and stakeholder consultation followed established methodological guidelines. Four databases and two grey literature sources were searched. Two researchers independently selected articles using predefined inclusion criteria. Pertinent information was inputted into an iteratively developed extraction table. NVivo 12 was used to organise the extracted data into themes. Key findings were confirmed through stakeholder consultation.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight articles were included in the scoping review. Five key themes emerged: (1) Curricular targets; (2) Intervention components; (3) Dentist and patient factors; (4) The role of interdisciplinary care; and (5) Post-graduation insights on knowledge-seeking patterns. Stakeholder consultations involved 19 participants from Southwestern Ontario and generally confirmed our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Inconsistent reporting of multiple intervention dimensions constrains our ability to strengthen this knowledge. Future interventions and their reporting could be improved by adopting "willingness to treat" as an overarching, multi-faceted concept which encompasses knowledge on ageing, attitudes towards older patients, perceived competence and empathy. Stakeholder interviews complemented these findings.

Perspectives of oral health therapists on the barriers to oral care provision in nursing homes in Singapore: A qualitative analysis

INTRODUCTION

Oral health therapists (OHTs) are a valuable resource for increasing access to dental care for the frail elderly in nursing homes (NHs). However, OHTs face several barriers and their skill-set continues to be under-utilized.

AIMS

To evaluate the perceptions of OHTs regarding the barriers towards oral care provision for the elderly residents in NHs.

METHODOLOGY

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 OHTs to discuss the factors that may hinder them from providing oral health services in NHs. An inductive thematic analysis directed by the grounded theory approach was performed.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged: (i) lack of opportunity, (ii) lack of adequate education and training, (iii) limited work scope and registration status, and (iv) lack of adequate financial remuneration and adequate equipment. OHTs also raised the lack of awareness among OHTs and the various stakeholders, of how the skill-set of OHTs may be relevant for oral care provision in NHs.

CONCLUSION

Findings revealed underlying educational and regulatory barriers which need to be addressed in tandem. Addressing these barriers can be impactful in informing future strategies for the greater utilization of the skill-set of OHTs in Singapore.

How dentists in Egypt perceive their knowledge, attitudes, and barriers they face in providing oral healthcare to geriatric patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Geriatric dentistry is an understudied area in dental schools in Egypt. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of Egyptian dentists regarding geriatric oral health and identify barriers to delivering dental care to geriatric patients.

METHODS

We conducted an anonymous online cross-sectional study in November and December 2022, targeting dentists with varying levels of experience working in different Egyptian institutions. A 30-item questionnaire assessed the respondent's views on geriatric oral health, perceived knowledge, attitudes, and barriers. The Google form was distributed through emails and commonly used social media platforms.

RESULTS

A total of 421 dentists responded to this online questionnaire. Of the respondents, 44.9% were male, 45.0% were between 20 and 29 years old, and 31.5% worked in more than one dental setting. Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex negatively affected attitude β = -1.72 [95%CI,-2.43 - -1.11]. The proportion of older patients who visited the respondents' clinics per day (11-30%) and more than 30% increased perceived knowledge [β = 1.01 (95%CI, 0.41 -1.62), β = 1.50 (95%CI, 0.71-2.22)] and attitude [β = 0.70 (95%CI, 0.06-1.40), β = 0.73 (95%, 0.13-1.61)] while decreased the perceived barriers [β = -1.10 (95%CI, -1.91 - -0.32)] respectively. On the other hand, years of experience increased perceived knowledge only after 5-10 years [β = 1.02 (95%CI, 0.04-2.10)] and after more than 10 years [β = 1.30 (95%CI, 0.21-2.70)]. Governmental work only increased perceived barriers [β = 1.33 (95%CI, 0.10-2.54)], while living in the middle and west delta decreased perceived barriers [β = -0.91 (95%CI, -2.12 - -0.01 and β = -1.33, (95%CI, -2.22 - -0.40) respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the need to improve the knowledge and attitudes of young dentists towards geriatric dentistry. Furthermore, working conditions in dental facilities, particularly in the government sector and Upper Egypt, need to be improved to reduce barriers to delivering dental care to geriatric patients.

What influences dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults? A scoping review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the literature to evaluate dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses/PRISMA guidelines to identify articles from four electronic databases: MEDLINE via the PubMed interface, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and AgeLine. Gray literature searches were also performed in Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses-Health and Medicine.

RESULTS

Eleven articles were assessed. The majority (72, 72%) were published between 2011 and 2020, evidencing various contexts of dental students, such as different countries and cultures, and levels of education. The most commonly used tool/instrument to survey dental students' attitudes was the Aging Semantic Differential Scale. Student age, race, and marital status did not seem to interfere with dental students' attitudes regarding the treatment of older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental students tend to have a positive attitude toward older people. In this context, female students, students who interact with older people, and clinical students have more positive attitudes than male and nonclinical students.

The teaching of geriatric dentistry in South Korean dental schools

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the curriculum of geriatric dentistry for undergraduates in Korean dental schools.

BACKGROUND

For development purposes, it was necessary to compare geriatric dentistry education programmes in South Korea to programmes in the United States and Europe.

METHODS

The most recent curriculum and related information on geriatric dentistry at the undergraduate level in all 11 dental schools in South Korea were collected by both official letter and e-mail. A symposium for gathering expert opinions to improve geriatric dentistry education in South Korea was also held. The collected data were analysed, and the expert opinions at the symposium were summarised.

RESULTS

Six of 11 schools had a didactic course as compulsory and three schools as elective. The course was usually conducted as a form of integrated lectures, and the level of standardisation of lecture content was very low. There were no topics for older people who cannot access dental clinics due to functional frailty or disability. No dental school-affiliated hospitals had an independent department for geriatric dentistry. No schools provided clinical teaching for geriatric dentistry. There were no outreach programmes for geriatric dentistry.

CONCLUSIONS

The educational curriculum for geriatric dentistry in South Korea was insufficient to cope with social and demographic changes. Curriculum content should include clinical practice education and needs to be focused on frail and dependent older adult patients. An essential educational curriculum and core competency for geriatric dentistry should be prepared.

Translation and preliminary validation of the Serbian version of an ageism scale for dental students (ASDS-Serb)

AIMS

The ageist attitudes among dental clinicians may result in inadequate treatment planning and reduce quality of life for older adults. This study aimed at performing a preliminary validation of an ageism scale for dental students (ASDS) in Serbia (ASDS-Serb).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The 27-item ASDS was translated from English into Serbian and completed by 129 dental students. Principal component analysis (PCA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency reliability and discriminant validity were estimated. PCA produced a 17-item scale distributed into five factors that explain 64.24% of the total variance. All items showed high to moderate reliability (0.50-0.83). CFA indicates an acceptable model fit with significant standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.14-0.99. The first factor dealt with negative views of older adults' life and dental treatment, the second factor related to ethical values about older people, the third factor compared younger and older adults in dental care and the fourth factor related to difficulties in medical history taking. The fifth factor related to perceptions of oral health and treatment of older adults. Discriminant validity revealed significant differences related to the semester of studies, gender and having older people in the family.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary validation of the ASDS-Serb resulted in a 17-item scale distributed into the five factors with acceptable validity and reliability.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of dentists toward providing care to the geriatric patients

BACKGROUND

Tooth loss, systemic diseases and medications add to the complexity of the oral conditions in geriatric popuation, making this age group a special group in need of specific preventive and curative oral health care. Therefore, the dental teams need to be equipped with specific knowledge and skills to provide the appropriate dental care. This study was iaimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice and willingness of general dentists to provide dental care to geriatric patients.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 231 dentists using a questionnaire including demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice sections. The availability of the facilities for providing services to the older people in the office was also evaluated. Data were fed into SPSS-22 and analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Chi-squared, ANOVA and correlation coefficient tests (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

62.8% of the participants were women and their mean age was 34. 4±8. 1 years. The knowledge mean score was 13.3± 2.9 (out of 30). 86. 5% of the participants had moderate knowledge, and 2.6% displayed good knowledge. The mean score related to the attitudes toward geriatric was 55.8 ± 6. 1 (out of 85), which was not significantly different based on gender. The mean score of practice was 21. 4± 4.3. There was a significantly positive correlation between knowledge and attitude. Dentists with a higher knowledge score had moderately a more positive attitude towards the older people (R = 0.33, p_ value < 0.001). However, over 60% preferred to provide care to the young patients. Significant correlation was observed between their practice and attitude (R = 0. 2, P-value = 0.006). Nearly 30% of the dentists found their knowledge and experience insufficient in treating the older people with complex medical problems. 40% believed that the current dental education in dental schools did not provide adequate training in geriatric dental care.

CONCLUSION

Although the dentists in this study had average knowledge and capacity, they mostly displayed a positive attitude towards the old. A high percentage of them were unsatisfied with the sufficiency of geriatric dental education in dental schools.

Gerodontology in the dental school curriculum: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To explore the current status of gerodontology in the undergraduate dental curriculum.

BACKGROUND

Internationally, there is recognition for the need to include gerodontology in dental education due to accelerating numbers of older dentate people. There is wide variation in the content and method of delivery of gerodontology in undergraduate curricula of dental schools.

METHODS

A scoping review framework was chosen to identify existing gaps and key concepts in the research on current undergraduate gerodontology education. Arksey and O'Malley's framework was used with the qualitative data analysis software NVivo to identify comparable information on geriatric dental education.

RESULTS

Five themes were highlighted in the studies including (1) gerodontology curriculum content, (2) attitudes, skills and knowledge of undergraduate dental students, (3) didactic teaching, (4) elective and compulsory teaching, and (5) extra-mural learning. The review found large variations in methodologies, presentation of data and findings. All studies emphasised a need for greater inclusion of gerodontology content in the undergraduate dental curriculum.

CONCLUSION

The review found limited research reporting on the educational outcomes of gerodontology in dental curricula with a lack of comprehensive information to inform gerodontology content in dental schools. This review has highlighted the need for national and international guidelines to ensure mandatory inclusion of sufficient and specific gerodontology training to prepare graduates for a growing dentate frail and care-dependent population.

Perception of Old Age in German Undergraduate Dental Students-A Comparison of Two Cohorts 10 Years Apart

Previous studies revealed that students’ willingness to provide dental services for older patients is mainly influenced by their individual perception of elders rather than their knowledge about old age. The aim of this study was to estimate students’ perception of old and young age as well as their hopes and fears associated with old age and to compare two cohorts that participated in the study 10 years apart. Data were obtained from a questionnaire completed by two cohorts of undergraduate dental students from 2006 to 2008 (T1, n = 207) and 2016 to 2018 (T2, n = 135). Participants were asked to define the ages that they consider a man or woman to be old and young. Moreover, they had to specify their fears and hopes associated with old age. Reported thresholds for old age differed significantly between T1 and T2. In contrast to T1 students, T2 students defined a person to be old at a higher age and barely differentiated between the old ages of men and women. Furthermore, T2 students presented more fears related to aging than T1 students, e.g., psychological problems or loss of independence. The perception of age appears to be a multifactorial process and significantly changed between students of T1 and T2. Fears of dental students regarding old age should be addressed in, e.g., gerodontological curricula, to foster positive experiences in interaction with older people and highlight the important and rewarding aspects of gerodontology.

Dentists' Opinions in Providing Oral Healthcare to Elderly People: A Questionnaire-Based Online Cross-Sectional Survey

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the factors in dentists' opinions related to oral health and the treatment management of the elderly. An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the dentist population (n = 463). Respondents were divided depending on whether they attended the geriatric dentistry course during their education, and 15 questions on the Likert scale demonstrated the difference in their attitudes. The majority of respondents (61.9%) agree that dental studies should pay more attention to acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills in the treatment of the elderly, and 56.2% would like to attend a course on that subject. Compared to those who participated in the geriatric dentistry course, those who did not consider providing oral healthcare to older people find it more difficult because of its complexity and practical obstacles (37.3% vs. 54%, p ≤ 0.001). From the results of this study, it can be concluded that there are differences in opinion about the provision of oral healthcare to the elderly between dentists who have and who have not attended a geriatric dentist course during their education. During the dentist's education, geriatric dentistry courses should have a significant role in providing knowledge for working with the elderly population.

Geriatric Dentistry Curriculum in Six Continents

The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of geriatric dentistry (GD) in the curricula of worldwide dental schools, and to identify and compare their curriculum content. Eighty-three dental schools (16.4% response rate), from 24 countries, in six continents, completed a 25-item online questionnaire, to assess their GD curriculum, and were included in the study. GD was a mandatory course in 56 dental schools (67.5%), an independent subject in 14 schools (16.9%), and was taught as a series of lectures in 31 schools (37.4%). Clinically, 56 dental schools (67.5%) had some form of mandatory education in GD. The type of school, location and method of presentation were not associated with greater interest in expanding their curriculum in GD (p = 0.256, p = 0.276, and p = 0.919, respectively, using the Chi-square test). We found GD is a curriculum requirement in most of the surveyed dental schools and is becoming more common among dental school curricula. This survey is the first study to present data from dental schools from all continents, using a web-based survey which is a resourceful, less-expensive tool to gather data.

Teaching undergraduate geriatric dentistry in five South America countries

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to qualitatively analyse undergraduate geriatric dentistry (GD) teaching characteristics identified by geriatric dentistry teachers and senior students in five South American countries.

BACKGROUND

GD involves the knowledge and skills required to provide oral health care for older people.

METHODS

Exploratory-descriptive research with a qualitative approach developed in the undergraduate context of public universities in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Nine dental schools were intentionally selected. The participants were GD module teachers (20) and their senior students (30). Data were collected through open interviews via Skype^® conducted between May and August 2015 and were analysed using a content analysis technique with ATLAS.ti^® software, resulting in four categories.

RESULTS

GD modules are theoretical or a theoretical-practical mix. Most teachers are prosthodontists without specific training in GD. Their motivations to teach GD are related to personal, family, professional and social reasons. Humanity, sensitivity and knowledge of older people are considered fundamental characteristics of a GD teacher.

CONCLUSIONS

Students' first contact with an older person usually occurs during clinical activities. The participants mentioned insufficient hours for GD modules in the curricula and exclusively theoretical modules that do not allow students to learn typical specificities of older people. In the context of this study, the undergraduate GD teaching-learning process presented some weaknesses regarding educational methods, professor training and the interaction between older people and students. Diversification of learning scenarios and GD professor training are highly recommended.

A call to greater inclusion of gerodontology in the dental curriculum: A narrative review

AIM

This literature review explores the need for greater prominence of gerodontology in the undergraduate dental curriculum, focusing on the significance of gerodontology for dental students on clinical placements.

BACKGROUND

As Australia's population ages the number of dentate older people is increasing. An assessment of the dental profession's preparedness, including that of future providers, is needed to ensure that this public health issue is addressed.

METHODS

A database search was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL and JCU OneSearch. Of the 41 articles identified, 31 were selected for review using a narrative approach.

DISCUSSION

Of the 31 articles reviewed, 12 were Australian, 9 North American and 5 European. Five overarching themes were identified, including preparedness for residential aged care facilities; barriers to oral health services provision; attitudes to aged care; gerodontology as part of a dental school curriculum and service-based learning.

CONCLUSION

There are differences in the gerodontology curricula of dental schools, with a wide variation of clinical exposure to older patients. There is evidence that exposure to gerodontology curriculum prior to treating older people may help dental students feel more prepared for managing patients in aged care. The current marginal status of gerodontology in dental school curricula is in need of review.

Dentists' opinions on knowledge, attitudes and barriers in providing oral health care to older people living independently in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium)

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate how dentists in the Netherlands and Flanders assessed their knowledge on oral health care to older people, what their attitude was and what barriers they experienced in rendering care to older people.

Methods

The survey data was collected from a random sample of Dutch and Flemish dentists. Five hundred ninety-five dentists (37%) of the Dutch sample and 494 dentists of the Flemish sample (41%) completed the online questionnaire. Dentists were asked to respond to 15 Likert type items, representing opinions on provision of oral health care to older people and to give information about the number of older patients treated and about some profession-specific and personal characteristics.

Results

The average number of patients treated per week was nearly twice as high in the Netherlands as in Flanders. Nevertheless, differences of opinions between dentists in the Netherlands and Flanders were relatively limited.

Conclusions

This survey shows that in particular the actual number of older patients treated appears to be related with differences of opinions between Dutch and Flemish dentists about oral health care provided to (vulnerable) older people who live at home.

Geriatric dentistry teaching and the curricular guidelines in dental schools in South American countries

Abstract Objective: to analyze the teaching of geriatric dentistry from the perspective of the National Curricular Guidelines (NCG) for undergraduate courses in dentistry in South American countries. Method: an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out, covering the dental schools of public universities in five South American countries which included a geriatric dentistry module in their curriculums. Twenty intentionally selected participants were included. Semi-structured open interviews were recorded using digital media and the content was analyzed using the Thematic Analysis technique with Atlas-Ti® software, based on the current NCG in each country. Results: the NCG evaluated in the five countries were similar in terms of the norms that guide the education of the dental surgeon. Three categories of analysis were identified: professional profile, skill development and the geriatric dentistry teaching-learning process for the undergraduate student. Conclusions: dentistry teaching has sought to connect with the NCG. However, the simple insertion of a geriatric dentistry module in the curriculum is not sufficient to promote a teaching-learning process that allows the student to develop skills to provide better care for the elderly.

Curriculum content in geriatric dentistry in USA dental schools

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to re-examine the teaching of geriatric dentistry in the USA dental schools, to identify curriculum content and compare the findings to previous reports.

METHODS

All dental schools in the United States were contacted via email with a questionnaire to assess the teaching of geriatric dentistry. Non-responding schools were sent a minimum of three reminder emails to complete the survey. A statistical analysis was performed. Descriptive statistics were conducted to profile the variables of interest. Bivariate analysis was performed to explore if any of the variables were related using Fisher's exact test, non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS

Fifty-six of the 67 dental schools completed the questionnaire. Geriatric dentistry was taught in all dental schools; for 92.8%, the course was compulsory. We found that 62.5% were teaching it as an independent course, 25% as an organised series of lectures and 8.9% as occasional lectures in parts of other courses. Clinically, 84.2% have some form of compulsory education in geriatric dentistry. Public schools were marginally associated with an increased interest in expanding the geriatric dentistry curriculum (P = .078). No differences were found between these variables and school location.

CONCLUSIONS

Geriatric dentistry is now required in 92.8% of dental schools. The teaching of traditional topics has not changed much; however, the number of gerontological topics has increased. Clinical teaching needs to be expanded, as in only 57.1% of schools was it a requirement. The ageing imperative will require research to determine the impact of teaching on services to the geriatric community.

Higher education in Gerodontology in European Universities

Background

The rapid aging of the European population and the subsequent increase in the oral care needs in older adults necessitates adequate training of dental professionals in Gerodontology (Geriatric Dentistry). This study was designed to investigate the current status of Gerodontology teaching amongst European dental schools at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education levels.

Methods

An electronic questionnaire was developed by a panel of experts and emailed to the Deans or other contact persons of 216 dental schools across 39 European countries. The questionnaire recorded activity levels, contents and methodology of Gerodontology teaching as part of dental education programs. Repeated e-mail reminders and telephone calls were used to encourage non-responders to complete the questionnaire.

Results

A total of 123 responses from 29 countries were received (response rate: 56.9%). Gerodontology was taught in 86.2% of schools at the undergraduate level, in 30.9% at the postgraduate level and in 30.1% at the continuing education level. A total of 43.9% of the responding schools had a dedicated Gerodontology program director. Gerodontology was taught as an independent subject in 37.4% of the respondent schools. Medical problems in old age, salivary impairment and prosthodontic management were the most commonly covered topics in Gerodontology teaching. Clinical teaching took place in 64.2% of the respondent schools, with 26.8% offering clinical training in outreach facilities.

Conclusions

The vast majority of European dental schools currently teach Gerodontology at the undergraduate level. More training opportunities in oral care of frail elders should be offered, and more emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary and interprofessional training, educational collaborations, and the use of modern technologies. Dedicated postgraduate Gerodontology courses need to be developed to create a significant number of specialized dentists and trained academics.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12903-017-0362-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Delivering the evidence--skill mix and education for elder care

OBJECTIVES

To review the current status of dental curricula on elder care, and the current curricula regarding elder care, and it's effect on altering practitioner behaviors while addressing the needs of a growing North American elder population.

BACKGROUND

An impending crisis is looming over the oral healthcare of our aging population. At the same moment that life expectancy is being extended through increasingly complex healthcare improvements, the numbers of trained dental providers capable and interested in delivering the needed care is failing to grow at an adequate rate.

DISCUSSION

The skills necessary to manage these increasingly complex patients require an interprofessional approach capable of delivering care to sicker patients, in a variety of living accommodations, while managing a variety of care givers. The dental skills necessary to treat these elderly are modifications of skills students routinely learn in dental school. As a matter of fact, the skills students acquire to treat an adult patient population may be contrary to the basic skills necessary to manage the elderly dependent adult patient. Teaching students the nuance differences needed to properly diagnose and care for this population is a difficult task that must be taught in a contextual environment.

CONCLUSION

Significant changes in the teaching of dental management of the elderly are critical within much of the education community. Just as teaching students to care for the pediatric population as general dentists, the clinical education must involve a sufficient number of quality experiences to address issues of both competency, that of the graduate to perform care independently, and attitudes, the actually willingness to treat the elderly.

Health trends in a geriatric and special needs clinic patient population

PURPOSE

To quantify differences and recent changes in health status among patients attending the Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry (GSND) and Family Dentistry (FAMD) clinics at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

METHODS

A total of 388 randomly selected records from patients attending the GSND or FAMD clinics from 1996-2000 or from 2006-2010 were reviewed. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted, followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses to compare characteristics of patients across clinics.

RESULTS

Between the two GSND cohorts, the mean number of medications reported increased from 4.0 to 6.5 (p < 0.001).  Within both cohorts, mental health conditions were significantly more prevalent among patients attending the GSND than FAMD clinic (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Within cohorts, patients seen in the GSND clinic tended to have more medical problems than patients attending the FAMD clinic, particularly mental health conditions; and medication use was more common in the recent cohort in both GSND and FAMD clinics.

An interprofessional educational approach to oral health care in the geriatric population

An interprofessional educational approach was used to provide five in-service training sessions for all direct health care providers in a long-term care facility, and one half-day seminar/live webinar for community-licensed health care professionals. Content included presentations by five disciplines: (a) periodontist: oral-systemic relationship, (b) oral pathologist: oral pathology, (c) pharmacist: oral health-pharmacological link, (d) dietitian: oral health-dietary link, and (e) occupational therapist: providing and practicing proper oral hygiene. Significant improvement in posttest scores for the five in-service training sessions and the half-day seminar/live webinar was revealed in t-test results, representing an increase in knowledge gained. Approximately 80% of the 145 participants indicated that they would make a change in patient care. Findings indicate that the in-service training sessions and half-day seminar/live webinar supported development of the geriatric work force by utilizing an interprofessional educational approach which will assist in meeting the oral health care needs of the geriatric population.