Oman Dental College partnered with local health agencies in Zanzibar, Tanzania, for an international dental outreach project. This early-stage engagement aims to address Zanzibar's pressing dental health needs and to provide a transformative educational experience for student volunteers. Informed by the intertwined histories of Oman and Zanzibar,…

A group of 41 Tulsa Tech students and two instructors volunteered to the Mission of Mercy, a free, two-day dental clinic co-sponsored by the Oklahoma Dental Association, the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Charitable Foundation and the Oklahoma Dental Foundation held downtown at the Tulsa Convention Center. The clinic was designed to meet the critical…

Asserts that a substantial improvement in the diversity of the oral health student body and eventual workforce is a critical element to achieving the goals of improving oral health and quality of life and eliminating health disparities. Offers data about the disparities, and discusses the role of the Office of the Surgeon General and of dental…

Discusses the establishment of Minority Affairs Offices in dental schools, which follow the American Association of Medical Colleges' model as one method of addressing the declining enrollment and compounding oral health disparities of underrepresented minorities--African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. (EV)

A dental educator offers suggestions for the future role of dental schools and of dental education programs in greater recognition of the importance of women's oral health. Specific interventions addressing current and future health care needs are outlined. Curriculum, accreditation, legislation, and information dissemination are considered. (MSE)