Health Authority Establishes Community-Based Dental Training Program

University of Detroit Mercy's School of Dentistry & Clinic To Serve As Academic Partner

DETROIT, Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority a $1.8 million grant to allow for the expansion of an Advanced Education in General Dentistry dental residency with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry & Clinic (UDM), beginning July 1. The one-year residency will include funding for 12 primary care dental residents.

"We're very pleased to offer a residency in general dentistry," said Chris Allen, Health Authority CEO.  "With the exception of a few community dentistry programs, it's very difficult for a low income family to get oral health care. We believe this program will expand the population of dental providers in Detroit and other dental health shortage areas. UDM Dental, as our academic partner brings a longtime commitment to providing dental care for underserved populations as well as an outstanding teaching program.

"We expect that this residency will increase the number of general dentists in Detroit and other medically-underserved areas in Michigan," Allen said. "Residents will receive high quality academic training from UDM faculty in community-based ambulatory settings. During clinical rotations and didactic sessions, residents will be trained using clinical management expertise and quality improvement techniques. Dental residents will also be exposed to principles of population health in order to foster community-centered practice. This is a major enhancement of the existing Authority Health medical residency."

The general dentistry residency, under the clinical leadership of Dr. Mert Aksu, UDM School of Dentistry Dean will work with community and university stakeholders to facilitate residency training in a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The patient-centered, evidence-based program will include oral disease treatment.

"University of Detroit Mercy and the School of Dentistry & Clinic is proud to partner with the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority for community-based advanced Education in General Dentistry residency positions," said Dean Aksu. "This expansion of our existing residency will offer residents an opportunity to have an immersive community-based experience serving the underserved residents of Wayne County and the State of Michigan.

New Community-Based Dental Residency

UDM's School of Dentistry is a partner with Wayne State University in the State of Michigan Area Health Education Center Grant. This partnership with the Health Authority will further UDM's mission and strategic initiatives in service learning as UDM prepares future oral health professionals to meet the increasing numbers of underserved throughout Michigan and the United States."

UDM Dental was founded in 1932. Its main facility includes 190 clinical operatories, state-of-the-art classrooms, and a simulation laboratory which seats 100 students. Clinical programs include dental hygiene, post-doctoral endodontics, and postdoctoral orthodontics, as well as advanced programs in general dentistry and periodontics.  UDM Dental operates a 42-chair clinic at Detroit Receiving Hospital and University Health Center. The hospital-based clinic, the largest of any dental school in the United States, provides fourth-year students with the opportunity to care for medically-compromised patients, and offers a rich learning experience which is unique in American dental education.

The Detroit Wayne County Health Authority was established in 2004 to create a health care safety net for the uninsured and underserved population of Wayne County. It provides health benefit enrollment, promotes capacity expansion of community health centers and community health programs, and provides a teaching health center program for post-graduate medical and dental training.

SOURCE Detroit Wayne County Health Authority