New Advanced Education in General Dentistry training program is designed to widen access to care
To expand opportunities for postgraduate training while addressing barriers to dental care, Tufts has launched an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency in partnership with Maine Medical Center and Community Dental, a network of clinics in southern Maine. The program could help alleviate the shortage of highly trained dental providers in Maine and in other underserved regions.
The one-year AEGD program will train six residents each year to care for patients with complex medical and oral health needs. The demand for this specialized training far exceeds its availability, according to the American Dental Association.
“Tufts is committed to strengthening the dental health workforce to meet the public’s needs,” said Huw Thomas, dean of Tufts School of Dental Medicine.
Three residents will be based in Boston, and three will be based in Maine. The Boston residents will train in the Tufts clinics and at three Tufts Dental Facilities sites that provide care for patients with developmental disabilities. They’ll also treat Boston school children as part of the Smart Smiles program.
The Maine residents will train in collaboration with Maine Medical Center in Portland and five Community Dental clinics, in Biddeford, Farmington, Lewiston, Portland and Rumford. They will also provide care for patients through southern Maine’s public school systems, the federal WIC nutrition program, the Maine Office of Aging and Disabilities and the federal Head Start program.
Funded by two grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the AEGD residency has been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and began on July 1.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of Tufts Dental Medicine magazine.
Jacqueline Mitchell can be reached at jacqueline.mitchell@tufts.edu.
