Speakers: Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH and Ellen Gohlke, RDH, MHSc, FSCDH

Program Track: Educational Methodologies

Course Description: CODA Standard 2-12 requires that dental hygiene graduates “must be competent in providing dental hygiene care for all patient populations including…geriatric and special needs.” Academic programs must now create opportunities for students to provide treatment to these patients and conduct assessments to measure competency prior to graduation. Published studies reveal a lack of adequate didactic and clinical curricula to prepare students for actual practice with treating these patients. Opportunities for dental hygiene students to gain experience in special care dental clinics are limited. Thus, programs must develop strategies to provide opportunities for students to gain the hands-on experience necessary for competence. This presentation will provide curriculum guidance and resources to support student skill acquisition and confidence with caring for individuals with disabilities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe different patient populations with disabilities.
• Discuss recommendations for didactic and clinical curriculum content related to caring for individuals with disabilities.
• Identify competencies to assess student performance when treating patients with disabilities.
• Explore the principles of social emotional learning.
• Demonstrate how to incorporate elements of social emotional learning into the dental curriculum.
• Discuss strategies to build a base of clinical patients with disabilities for dental hygiene students.

CE Credit Hours: 2.0

Course Creation: August 2025

The American Dental Hygienists' Association is designated as an approved provider by the American Academy of Dental Hygiene, Inc. #AADHADH (Jan. 1, 2025–Dec. 31, 2025). Approval does not imply acceptance by a state or provincial Board of Dentistry. Licensee should maintain this document in the event of an audit.

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association is an approved provider of dental continuing education as recognized by the Dental Board of California, Provider #5238.