Practice patterns of postgraduate trained dentists in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Postgraduate dental (PGD) primary care training has grown significantly. This study examines the individual, educational, community, and policy factors that predict practice patterns of PGD-trained dentists. STUDY DESIGN: Individual dentist records from the 2017 American Dental Association Masterfile, with indicators of Medicaid participation and practice in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), were linked to postdoctoral training, community/practice location, and state policy factors. Generalized logistic models, adjusted for these factors, were used to predict PGD-trained dentists: (1a) serving Medicaid children, (1b) accepting new Medicaid patients, and (2) working in an FQHC. RESULTS: Individual attributes that predicted serving Medicaid children included all race/gender combinations (vs. White females), and foreign-trained dentists and contractors/employees/associates (vs. practice owners). Black women are most likely to work in an FQHC. Residency attributes that predicted serving Medicaid children and working in an FQHC were Health Resources and Services Administration postdoctoral funding and being community based. Dentists practicing in rural or high-poverty communities were more likely to serve Medicaid children and work at FQHCs. States with higher levels of graduate medical education investment, higher Medicaid rates, and more generous adult dental Medicaid benefits increased the likelihood of serving Medicaid children, while states with more expansive adult dental Medicaid benefits increased the likelihood of working in an FQHC. CONCLUSION: Federal training investment in PGD education combined with Medicaid payment and coverage policies can strongly impact access to dental care for vulnerable populations. Yet, oral health equity cannot be achieved without increasing dentist workforce diversity.

Medicare Support for Dental and Podiatry Graduate Medical Education Programs.

Importance: Oral health care faces ongoing workforce challenges that affect patient access and outcomes. While the Medicare program provides an estimated $14.6 billion annually in graduate medical education (GME) payments to teaching hospitals, including explicit support for dental and podiatry programs, little is known about the level or distribution of this public investment in the oral health and podiatry workforce. Objective: To examine Medicare GME payments to teaching hospitals for dental and podiatry residents from 1998 to 2018, as well as the distribution of federal support among states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 1252 US teaching hospitals. Data were analyzed from May through August 2020. Exposures: Dental and podiatry residency training. Main Outcomes and Measures: Medicare dental and podiatry GME payments were examined. Results: Among 1252 teaching hospitals, Medicare provided nearly $730 million in dental and podiatry GME payments in 2018. From 1998 to 2018, the number of residents supported more than doubled, increasing from 2340 residents to 4856 residents, for a 2.1-fold increase, while Medicare payments for dental and podiatry GME increased from $279 950 531 to $729 277 090, for a 2.6-fold increase. In 2018, an estimated 3504 of 4856 supported positions (72.2%) were dental. Medicare GME payments varied widely among states, territories, and the District of Columbia, with per capita payments by state, territory, and district population ranging from $0.05 in Puerto Rico to $14.24 in New York, while 6 states received no support for dental or podiatry residency programs. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that dental and podiatry GME represents a substantial public investment, and deliberate policy decisions are needed to target this nearly $730 million and growing investment to address the nation's priority oral and podiatry health needs.

Context matters: Integration of social determinants of health in AEGD and GPR curricula.

PURPOSE: To examine the integration of social determinants of health (SDH) in the US Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and General Practice Residency (GPR) programs. METHODS: This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. A 46-question survey was sent to all 265 AEGD and GPR programs in February 2019. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing SDH curricular inclusion. A convenience sample of program directors (PDs) was interviewed between June and December 2019. Through content analysis, themes and subthemes were identified. RESULTS: Of the 265 AEGD and GPR PDs, 111 completed the survey (42% response rate). Almost three-quarters of PDs (72%) agreed that it was important for residents to understand basic SDH concepts. However, programs lacked eight of the 10 surveyed SDH subtopics. The odds of teaching five or more SDH subtopics were 0.09 (95% CI: 0.02-0.41) for programs with none-to-minimal levels of SDH integration in their clinical settings compared to close-to-fully integrated ones. Coding of PD interviews (N = 13) identified five major themes: 1. influences to integrate SDH, 2. training strategies, outcomes, and outputs, 3. reasons for training strategies, 4. barriers and solutions, and 5. future integration goals. Most PDs cited delivering SDH content during patient care and reported time and organizational culture being barriers to more curricular inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: AEGD and GPR curricula are deficient in SDH content and risk underpreparing residents for caring for the underserved. PDs and organizational leaders must prioritize SDH inclusion in order to train dentists for integrated person-centered care.

Algunos principios de la educación médica manifestados en la capacitación en Buenas Prácticas de Farmacovigilancia / Some principles of medical education manifested in the training in Good Pharmacological vigilance Practices

RESUMEN Fundamento: la capacitación en Farmacovigilancia para profesionales y técnicos de la industria farmacéutica es una opción de educación continuada desde los principios de la educación médica. Objetivo: fundamentar la correspondencia entre una propuesta de capacitación en Buenas Prácticas de Farmacovigilancia y algunos principios de la educación médica. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo en noviembre 2017-febrero 2018 en la Unidad Empresarial de Base Laboratorios Liorad. Los métodos teóricos fueron: sistematización, para relacionar las etapas de la capacitación y los principios de la educación médica; y el análisis-síntesis para fundamentar y analizar la información. Resultados: hubo correspondencia entre algunos principios de la educación médica y el curso diseñado: de la educación en el trabajo (principio rector), al contribuir a la formación de habilidades y hábitos prácticos que caracterizan las actividades profesionales; autonomía, en la inclusión de estudios de vigilancia activa y vigilancia pasiva; no hacer el mal, al capacitar a los profesionales y técnicos para realizar el balance beneficio-riesgo del medicamento; ética profesional, particularizando en la actitud deferente y respetuosa hacia el paciente donde se manifiesten la honradez y la honestidad; y beneficencia, al explicarles la obligatoriedad de la distribución de recursos médicos disponibles por igual para todos los seres humanos si distinción. Conclusiones: se fundamentó la correspondencia entre algunos principios de la educación médica en el curso diseñado, con el fin de que se pueda generalizar su aplicación desde el posgrado para profesionales y técnicos que asumen la actividad de Farmacovigilancia en disímiles contextos cubanos.

ABSTRACT Background: Pharmacological vigilance training for professionals and technicians in the pharmaceutical industry is a steady education option from the principles of medical education. Objective: to establish the correspondence between a training proposal in Good Pharmacological vigilance Practices and some principles of medical education. Methods: a descriptive study was carried out from November 2017 to February 2018 at the Liorad Labs Base Business Unit. The theoretical methods were: systematization, to relate the stages of training and the principles of medical education; and the analysis-synthesis to base and analyze the information. Results: there was correspondence between some principles of medical education and the designed course: of the in-service training (guiding principle), by contributing to the formation of skills and practical habits that characterize professional activities; autonomy, in the inclusion of active surveillance and passive surveillance studies; do not do wrong, by training professionals and technicians to make the benefit-risk balance of the drug; professional ethics, specializing in the deferential and respectful attitude towards the patient where honesty is manifested; and charity, by explaining the mandatory distribution of medical resources available equally to all human beings without distinction. Conclusions: the correspondence between some principles of medical education was founded in the designed course, so that its application can be generalized from the postgraduate level to professionals and technicians who assume the activity of Pharmacological vigilance in similar Cuban contexts.

Valoración del método de estudio de caso virtual en el posgrado académico / Assessment of the virtual case study method in the academic postgraduate

Introducción: El método de estudio de caso por vía virtual es una herramienta didáctica de gran valor en el proceso pedagógico del posgrado. Este método, promueve el aprendizaje activo de los residentes, y posee inestimable valor como instrumento del posgrado que se imparte, su ejecución favorece el perfeccionamiento del programa de formación académica de la especialidad. Objetivo: Valorar la satisfacción de los residentes y profesores de la especialidad de Periodoncia con el método de estudio de caso virtual como herramienta didáctica. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación descriptiva, con enfoque cualitativo, desarrollada de enero a abril del 2020, en la Facultad de Estomatología de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara y en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de las FAR. La población estuvo compuesta por 6 profesores y 7 residentes de la especialidad de Periodoncia y 3 profesores de otras especialidades estomatológicas. Satisfacción con la utilización del caso clínico, residentes y profesores, constituyeron variables del estudio. Resultados: Los casos clínicos preparados por cada profesor, incluían dificultades que no tenían una única solución, para favorecer la comprensión de problemas divergentes y la adopción de soluciones mediante la reflexión. En el análisis de la satisfacción, la mayoría de las respuestas seleccionadas por los residentes y profesores fue siempre. Conclusiones: La satisfacción de residentes y profesores con el uso del estudio de caso virtual fue alta(AU)

Introduction: The virtual case study method is a valuable teaching tool in the postgraduate pedagogical process that can be used for the development of meaningful and autonomous learning. The case study by virtual means, promotes the active learning of the residents, and has invaluable value as an instrument of the postgraduate course that is taught, its execution favors the improvement of the academic training program of the specialty. Objective: To assess the satisfaction of residents and teachers of the periodontics specialty with the virtual case study method as a teaching tool. Method: A descriptive research, with a qualitative approach, was carried out from January to April 2020, at the Faculty of Stomatology of Villa Clara and at the University of Medical Sciences of the FAR. The population was made up of 6 professors and 7 residents of the periodontology specialty and 3 professors from other dental specialties. Satisfaction with the use of the clinical case, residents and teachers, were study variables. Results: The clinical cases prepared by each teacher included difficulties that did not have a single solution, to favor the understanding of divergent problems and the adoption of solutions through reflection. In the analysis of satisfaction; Most of the responses selected by residents and teachers were always. Conclusions: The satisfaction of residents and teachers of the Periodontics specialty with the use of the virtual case study method was high(AU)

Social Mission Metrics: Developing a Survey to Guide Health Professions Schools.

The social mission, which is focused on advancing social justice and health equity, has gained recognition as an important aspect of health professions education. However, there is currently no established method to measure a school's commitment to these activities. In this Perspective, the authors describe the development of a new tool to measure the social mission at dental, medical, and nursing schools across the United States, and they reflect on the implications of using this tool to deepen discussions around the social mission and strengthen progress toward health equity.From 2016 to 2019, the authors created and field tested the online social mission metrics survey for health professions schools to identify their level of engagement in social mission activities, track that level over time, and compare their progress with that of other schools. The survey measures a school's social mission values, programs, and activities across 6 domains and 18 activity areas. The authors also developed a scoring system based on stakeholder priorities, which they used to provide customized, confidential feedback to the schools that participated in the field tests.Going forward, the authors recommend that schools complete the survey every 3 to 5 years to track their social mission over time, and they plan to expand the survey process to additional dental, medical, and nursing schools as well as to schools in other health professions. The social mission metrics survey is meant to be a useful tool for improving the level and quality of social mission engagement at health professions schools, with the goal of improving the awareness, skills, and commitment of health professionals to health equity.

Retrospective Evaluation of the Status of Advanced Dental Education in Prosthodontics from 2006 to 2016.

The aim of this study was to analyze information about advanced education programs in prosthodontics (AEPPs) collected in American Dental Association (ADA) surveys on advanced dental education from 2006-07 to 2016-17. Data recorded included number of AEPPs and information on program directors, applicants, and enrollees in AEPPs. The results showed that, from 2006 to 2016, there was an increase in the number of AEPPs and enrollment of prosthodontic residents, and the number of applicants per program more than doubled. Despite these increases, steps are needed to increase the number of underrepresented minority residents in prosthodontics. Also, a periodic survey of prosthodontic residents to identify their goals, experiences during training, and career plans could benefit the specialty by providing more insight into the future prosthodontic workforce.

Assessment, Education, and Access: Kona Hawai'i WIC Oral Health Pilot Project.

The Kona WIC oral health pilot project was developed to assess the oral health beliefs and behaviors of parents of children and pregnant women at the Kona WIC site and to demonstrate the ease of providing oral health education to families in order to improve oral health behaviors. Data were collected from 50 families about the oral health behaviors and dental care of a total of 73 children, including 5 pregnant women, four of whom had a child enrolled in WIC and one pregnant woman without any previous children. Data revealed that 68% of children with teeth had been seen by a dentist within 6 to 12 months of the study visit. Mothers were seen less often, with 55% stating that they had not been seen for a dental visit for over one year. Parental knowledge about the effects of fluoride on teeth was limited; however, 90% of the parents would allow fluoride varnish applied to their child's teeth, 88% would give daily fluoride drops/tablets to their child, and 78% would support water fluoridation if it would help to improve their children's oral health. Additionally, for children old enough to receive fluoride supplementation, 60% were not given a prescription by their health care providers, and 58% had not received any fluoride varnish applications. By offering oral health education in a WIC clinic and assisting clients to seek out comprehensive care within a dental home, children and caregivers can be provided essential education and resources early in a child's life or women's pregnancies to reduce poor oral health outcomes.

Interest in Dental Hygiene Therapy: a study of dental hygienists in Maine.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of registered dental hygienists (RDHs), licensed in the state of Maine, regarding the midlevel dental hygiene therapist (DHT) provider model and to gather data regarding the degree of interest in enrolling in a DHT program.Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study design with a non-probability purposive sampling of actively practicing RDHs in the state of Maine (n=1,284) was utilized for the web-based survey. Survey questions included awareness in the passage of DHT legislation, level of interest pursuing education and licensure in this midlevel provider model. Data was collected over a three-week period. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for data analysis.Results: Response rate was 21% (n=268). Sixty-five percent of respondents expressed interest in enrolling in a DHT program and 40% of those respondents stated a willingness to enroll in a DHT program within the coming year. Although willing to travel 25-50 miles, a majority of respondents preferred programs incorporating online components combined with clinical training completed in nearby communities. Themes emerging from the open-ended question regarding DHT program feasibility and appeal included: convenience, flexibility, cost/affordability, and independent or collaborative practice.Conclusion: Study outcomes indicated interest exists among Maine RDHs regarding the DHT provider role and enrollment in a DHT program. Although there are no DHT programs currently being offered in the New England states, results suggest further investigation is warranted regarding the development of a DHT program in the Northeastern United States.

Are UK graduates equipped with the skill set required to meet the demands of the UK's edentulous population?

As the UK witnesses a decline in the number of edentulous adults, there is a simultaneous reduction in the number of cases available to undergraduate dental students for the teaching of complete dentures. When edentulous adults are unable to function with conventional complete dentures, particularly pertaining to the mandibular denture, an implant-supported mandibular overdenture has been evidenced as the gold standard for edentulous patients. The evidence in favour of mandibular implant-supported overdentures is one of the most robust evidence bases for any clinical treatment and similarly it has been shown that undergraduate students are equally as capable in the provision of implant-supported overdentures as experienced prosthodontists. Yet there appears to be a disparity in the General Dental Council's undergraduate learning outcomes pertaining to care for edentulous adults. Furthermore, the UK seems to be falling behind in this respect in comparison to our European, American and Australian colleagues. This review looks at the evidence for the provision of implant-supported overdentures in the setting of the undergraduate dental curriculum, the potential barriers within this teaching forum and how well prepared UK undergraduates are for the clinical management of edentulous patients in the future.

Quality of life of postgraduate students stricto sensu in dentistry and sociodemographic factors / Qualidade de vida dos alunos de pós-graduação stricto sensu em odontologia e fatores sociodemográficos

Introduction: Quality of life (QL) is subjective and must be based on a multidimensional construct and on positive and negative factors in the individual's life. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the QL of the students of the Postgraduate Program in Dentistry (PPGO) of the Federal University of Ceará. Material and method: Cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, conducted with 88 students regularly enrolled in PPGO. The QL was measured by the World Health Organization Questionnaire for Quality of Life-bref (WHOQOL-bref). For a better analysis of the QL scores, they were categorized into three levels: dissatisfaction, uncertainty and satisfaction. A multinomial logistic regression model was used. Result: The majority of the respondents (55.7%) was classified in the area of satisfaction with QL, with 14,05 total average scores, corresponding to 62.8% of the total. By associating the socio-demographic data with the categories of analysis of QL, it was observed relevant in single students (p=0.005), those who considered themselves religious (p=0.041) and those who did not have a postgraduate scholarship (p=0.025), being evaluated in the area of dissatisfaction/uncertainty about the QL. Conclusion: It was concluded that marital status, religion and scholarship in postgraduate school were relevant in the QL of stricto sensu postgraduate students in Dentistry.

Introdução: A qualidade de vida (QV) é subjetiva e deve ser baseada num constructo multidimensional e em fatores positivos e negativos da vida do indivíduo. Objetivo: O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a QV dos estudantes do Programa de Pós-graduação em Odontologia (PPGO) da Universidade Federal do Ceará. Material e método: Estudo transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, realizado com 88 discentes regulamente matriculados no PPGO. A QV foi mensurada pelo World Health Organization Questionnaire for Quality of Life-bref (WHOQOL-bref). Para uma melhor análise dos escores de QV, eles foram categorizados em três níveis: insatisfação, indefinição e satisfação. Modelo de regressão logística multinomial foi utilizado. Resultado: A maioria dos entrevistados (55,7%) foi classificada na região de satisfação quanto a QV, sendo 14,05 a média total dos escores, correspondendo a 62,8% do total. Ao associar os dados sociodemográficos com as categorias de análise da QV, observou-se relevância nos estudantes solteiros (p=0,005), os que se consideraram religiosos (p=0,041) e aqueles que não possuíam bolsa na pós-graduação (p=0,025), sendo avaliados na região de insatisfação/indefinição quanto à QV. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que o estado civil, religiosidade e bolsa na pós-graduação foram relevantes na QV dos alunos da pós-graduação stricto sensu em Odontologia.

Current State of Dental Education: Executive Summary.

This executive summary for Section 1 of the "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century" project provides a composite picture of information from 12 background articles on the current state of dental education in the United States. The summary includes the following topics: the current status of the dental curriculum, the implications of student debt and dental school finances, the expansion of enrollment, student diversity, pre- and postdoctoral education, safety net status of dental school clinics, and trends in faculty.

Current Status of Postdoctoral and Graduate Programs in Dentistry.

Advanced dental education has evolved in the context of societal needs and economic trends to its current status. Graduate programs have positioned their role in the context of health systems and health science education trends in hospitals, interprofessional clinical care teams, and dental schools and oral health care systems. Graduate dental education has been a critical factor in developing teams in trauma care, craniofacial disorders, pediatric and adult medicine, and oncology. The misalignment of the mission of graduate dental programs and the demands of private practice has posed a challenge in the evolution of programs as educational programs have been directed towards tertiary and indigent care while the practice community focuses on largely healthy affluent patients for complex clinical interventions. Those seeking graduate dental education today are smaller in number and include more international dental graduates than in the past. Graduate dental education in general dentistry and in the nine recognized dental specialties now includes Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) recognition of training standards as part of its accreditation process and a CODA accreditation process for areas of clinical education not recognized as specialties by the American Dental Association. Current types of programs include fellowship training for students in recognized specialties. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century."

Trends in Generalist and Specialty Advanced Dental Education and Practice, 2005-06 to 2015-16 and Beyond.

This article reviews the data on advanced dental education for the past decade and explores what advanced dental education might look like in the years leading up to 2040, including how its graduates will address the oral health needs of the population. The authors based these projections on published data about advanced dental education collected by the American Dental Association and other organizations. Nevertheless, a certain degree of speculation was involved. The article presents current data and trends in advanced dental education, environmental factors impacting advanced dental education, and lessons drawn from other areas of health care that support the potential scenarios that are described. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century."

Factors Influencing Dental Students' Interest in Advanced Periodontal Education: Perspectives of Department Chairs.

The number of graduates of U.S. dental schools enrolled in U.S. postdoctoral programs in periodontics has been decreasing. The aims of this study were to determine the perspectives of periodontics department chairs regarding 1) features of a school's predoctoral curriculum that promote student interest in advanced periodontal education and 2) characteristics of a periodontal residency program that make it more attractive to dental students over other specialty programs. In 2015, a 14-question survey was designed and sent to chairs of periodontics departments at all 65 U.S. dental schools at the time. Questions addressed number of instructional hours; specialty clinic rotations; elective courses; number of applicants to periodontal residency; existence of a residency program; length of the residency program; and externships, fellowships, and financial stipends offered. The survey response rate was 73.8%. The results showed that departments offering more than seven clinical credit hours in periodontics to predoctoral students had the greatest number of residency applicants. Most of the applicants were from institutions that offered specialty clinic rotations, elective courses, and residency programs in periodontics. The number of applicants did not change significantly if a stipend or fellowship was offered. However, the availability of an externship was significantly associated with a greater number of applicants (p=0.042). These results suggest that offering periodontal clinical rotations, elective courses, and especially externships in periodontics during predoctoral education may encourage more graduating students to pursue postdoctoral periodontal education.

Faculty Development for Metro New York City Postdoctoral Dental Program Directors: Delphi Assessment and Program Response.

Faculty development for dental academicians is essential to cultivate a continuous faculty workforce, retain existing faculty members, enhance their teaching skill sets, and remain responsive to changing program requirements and curricular reforms. To maximize the utility of dental faculty development, it is important to systematically assess and address faculty members' perceived training needs. The aims of this study were to determine priority topics among one group of postdoctoral program directors and to translate those topics into faculty development programs as part of Columbia University's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-sponsored faculty training program for primary care educators. The study was conducted in 2013-16. A Delphi consensus technique was implemented with three sequential surveys of 26 New York City metropolitan area general, pediatric, and public health dentistry residency program directors. On the first survey, the five respondents (19% response rate) identified 31 topics. On the second survey, 17 respondents (response rate 65%) rated the 15 most important topics. In the third and final round, 19 respondents (73% response rate) ranked teaching research methods and teaching literature reviews as the topics of greatest interest. Overall, the responses highlighted needs for faculty development on teaching research methods, motivating trainees, trainee evaluation, and clinical care assessment. Based on these results, a series of six Faculty Forums was developed and implemented for dental educators in the metropolitan area, starting with the topic of teaching research methods. The process flow used for assessing training needs and developing and evaluating training can be applied to a variety of populations of educators.

Assessment of Diagnosed Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain Conditions by Predoctoral Dental Students: A Pilot Study.

Temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain (TMD/OFP) conditions are challenging to diagnose for predoctoral dental students due to the multifactorial etiology, complexity, and controversial issues surrounding these conditions. The aim of this study was to determine if patients in the clinic of one U.S. dental school reported existing signs and symptoms of TMD/OFP, whether the dental students diagnosed the condition based on the reported signs and symptoms, and if the condition was then treated. The study was based on a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data over a three-year period. The results showed that, during the study period, 21,352 patients were treated by student providers. Of those patients, 5.33% reported signs or symptoms associated with TMD/OFP; 5.99% received a TMD/OFP diagnosis; and 0.26% received at least one form of TMD/OFP treatment that had either a diagnosis or signs/symptoms of TMD/OFP. In addition, a small percentage (0.24%) of patients with no documented diagnosis received some sort of TMD/OFP-related treatment. A randomly selected sample of 90 patient charts found that no diagnoses of TMD/OFP were recorded in any of them. The results suggested that students had only marginally diagnosed the problems. Training for students including comprehensive didactic courses and clinical experiences to gain knowledge, context, and skill may be required to ensure they reach the required level of competence and prepare them to face the diagnostic challenges of TMD/OFP after graduation.

Cost of training in oral and maxillofacial surgery: beyond the second degree.

Training in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) involves considerable personal expense, a long period of training and the need for two degrees. Other costs have also increased, with little change in pay and poor access to funding. After a Freedom of Information request and having reviewed available data, we have established the cost of training in OMFS. There is considerable regional variation in access to funding, with escalating fees for conferences and courses. Recent changes have failed to address these.

Core Competencies in Geriatric Dentistry Fellowship Programs: a Delphi Study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The healthcare workforce is challenged with preparing for the increasing number of older persons and complexities of their healthcare needs. Fellowship trained geriatric dentists are charged with the task of addressing the dental needs of this vastly growing cohort.The purpose of this study is to formulate a set of competencies for Geriatric Dental Fellowship Training Programs. METHODS: The Delphi technique-a series of three rounds of anonymous questionnaires to obtain the opinions of experts without bringing them together. RESULTS: In Round 1, we proposed 45 competencies based on findings in previous literature. In Round 2, there were 19 respondents whose edits narrowed our list to 39 competencies proposed by the participants. In Round 3, based on group consensus we formulated a final list of 42 competencies. CONCLUSION: Utilizing the Delphi process, a panel of geriatric dental experts identified a set of core competencies for curriculums in dental fellowship programs.