Increasing general dentists' provision of care to child patients through changes in the undergraduate pediatric dentistry program.

Reduced caries rates and an increased percentage of children with dental insurance have made it more difficult for dental schools to provide undergraduates with sufficient numbers of pediatric dental patients requiring restorative procedures. This may result in graduates who are not competent and are reluctant to treat children after graduation. To ensure the quality of the undergraduate clinical training program, the Division of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Manitoba changed from a comprehensive-based clinic to a block system in 1998-99. Specific communities with limited access to dental care (neighboring core area schools and Hutterite colonies) were specifically targeted as potential sources for child patients. This format increased the exposure of students to patient management as well as to complex pediatric dentistry procedures. To assess the learning experiences before and after the changes to the clinical pediatric dentistry program, sixty general dentists who had graduated from the University of Manitoba were randomly selected using the Manitoba Dental Association Directory. Surveys were sent to twenty general dentists who graduated in each of the following years: 1993, 2000, and 2002. Forty-five dentists responded, fifteen from each of the three surveyed classes. Dentists who graduated after the changes to the program (2000, 2002) reported that they performed a greater number of complex pediatric dentistry procedures and treated more toddler and preschool children than the group that graduated before the changes (1993). Referrals to pediatric dentistry specialists were higher in the 1993 group than in the 2000 and 2002 groups. In conclusion, an adequate pool of pediatric patients is critical to provide dental students with sufficient learning experiences. The dentists who graduated from the program after the changes were implemented are providing more comprehensive treatment to younger children.