Online Presentation Series Continuing to Build Expertise in Disabilities Care

When Penn Dental Medicine opened its Care Center for Persons in Disabilities in 2021, the goal was not only to provide clinical care to this underserved population and teach students to do the same, but also to train and inspire practicing clinicians to better meet the needs of these patients as well.

To that end, the School also launched the Persons with Disabilities Presentation Series in 2021 —a free online continuing education program aimed at building competency in providing oral healthcare to persons with disabilities. It is doing just that. Now in its third year, the series has attracted nearly 7,170 attendees to date, who either joined the live virtual presentations or viewed the lectures self-paced online. In addition, 50 learners have taken 18 courses or more, earning a certificate of completion from Penn Dental Medicine as a Disabilities Dentistry Clinician Expert.

“We see this series as an important way to not only build awareness of the barriers to equitable oral healthcare for individuals with disabilities, but also expand the number of dentists treating this vulnerable population,” says Dr. Miriam Robbins, Director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Care Center for Persons with Disabilities, who helps to develop topics and identify speakers for the Series. “It’s rewarding to see the strong interest.”

Since its launch, there have been 36 programs presented on topics ranging from defining disabilities across a lifetime and the role of teledentistry when caring for people with disabilities to how the payer system can be strengthened to improve care for the disabled. The series has been supported by the Delta Dental Foundation of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina (DDF) with DDF having contributed $50,000 a year to fund the series, recently renewing its support again for 2023.

“The excitement and feedback we’ve received about the series continues to inspire us,” said Holli Seabury, EdD, executive director of the DDF. “It’s clear that oral health professionals across the industry want to be on the leading-edge of care for ALL people.”

Developed and offered through Penn Dental Medicine’s Office of Continuing Education, the series is open to oral health professionals at no charge. Individuals completing 18 or more of the courses within a three-year period will receive the Disabilities Dentistry Clinician Expert certificate of completion from Penn Dental Medicine.

View the series’ full schedule of upcoming live webinars as well as available online lectures at www.dental.upenn.edu/disabilitiescare

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By the Numbers

2022: A Year in Review

$27.92M

AWARDED FOR RESEARCH (FY22)

43,580

PATIENTS SERVED IN 2022 WITHIN THE SCHOOL’S CARE CENTERS & PENN DENTAL FAMILY PRACTICE

12,136

LIVE WEBINAR AND SELF-PACED LEARNERS AT ONLINE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN 2022

265

ONLINE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED IN 2022

5,892

PATIENT VISITS TO THE SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY SITES DURING THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR