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Dental Outreach Selective Options

Summer clinical/Community externship (SELC # 7011)First-year dental students have an opportunity to develop and implement patient education and community outreach services for the clinic, as well as assist DS3 students also assigned to the same clinic for a required summer selective. Sites are located in San Antonio, Laredo and Harlingen. For sites outside of San Antonio, housing will be provided and one round-trip travel expense will be reimbursed. 

Heroes for the homeless, Haven for Hope, SACDC/ Mobile dental van (SELC # 8221)Third-year dental students participate in a primary care/preventive dentistry elective training program in which primary dental care is provided in a dental clinic and/or the UT Dentistry Mobile Dental Clinic. Students participate in accordance with their level of training and ability, by providing needed dental care to the homeless and patients of all ages from shelters, thus becoming familiar with the oral health needs of various segments of the population. Dental care is provided under the direct supervision of Dental School faculty, including adjunct faculty from the private sector.

Mission Dental Care Selective (SELC # 8035)  The Christian Medical-Dental Association (CMDA) sponsors weekend Mission trips to the US/Mexican border and within underserved areas of San Antonio during the academic year. Students at all levels sign up for this program. Students provide care to local refugees and to individuals experiencing homelessness.  Other mission trips include travel to churches, community centers, or schools located in communities on the US side of the border (Del Rio, Eagle Pass, or Laredo) to provide basic primary, preventive, and emergency dental care under the supervision of dental school faculty, including adjunct faculty members.

Community Clinical Selective (SELC # 7011/8032)Each summer, the School of Dentistry, through the South Texas Border Initiative, offers an elective 2-week outreach program where DS3 students travel to affiliated community-based clinics located in South Texas (Brownsville, Harlingen, Raymondville, Laredo, Eagle Pass and Del Rio). Dental students provide primary and preventive oral health care to patients under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the designated affiliated clinic sites. Housing is provided by AHEC.

Preventive Dentistry Selective (SELC # 7120)First-year dental students, during the summer, will rotate to Mercy Ministries of Laredo or to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine to participate in a preventive dentistry outreach selective which requires the students to work in the colonias of Laredo/Webb County, and various other colonias located in the Upper, Mid, and Lower Rio Grande Valley Regions of South Texas. Students work with other organizations, health professionals, medical students, and colonia residents to develop educational programs focusing on preventing dental disease and raising the level of awareness of the importance of oral health to general health. Housing is provided by AHEC.

Community Service Selective (SELC # 7088) This selective offers an opportunity for students to receive credit for a minimum of 32 hours of documented community service. Service hours can be filled by participating in school-wide or community agency service projects or helping the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry with health fairs. Students will be able to choose the activities they participate in from a list of approved activities such as Habitat for Humanity, Haven for Hope, Morgan’s Wonderland, and Children’s Shelter. The service activities take place during hours outside the curriculum, usually weekend; some evenings/pending availability of the student. This selective is open to all students by permission.

Community Service Program in conjunction with Edgewood Independent School District 
Second graders from EISD (> 700) receive preventive dental care services at the ºÚÁÏÍø School of Dentistry. These clinics are held during two half days in February each year.
 

Dental Student Rotations

Freshmen (0.5 day)

Elementary School (half day) This is part of a required course in School-Based Preventive Dentistry. The Freshman dental students teach oral hygiene instruction and nutritional counseling to 2nd and 3rd graders. This is a component of INTD 5030.

Head Start Centers in San Antonio (one day) Students participate in a fluoride varnish program as one of the INTD 5030 rotations.

Sophomores (2.5 days)

Ricardo Salinas Clinic (Pediatric Dentistry) (half day)
Participation is part of a required course in Sophomore Clinic. Students receive pediatric dentistry training.

Roy Cisneros Elementary School, Edgewood Independent School District (one day) The sophomore dental students provide tailored dietary counseling, oral hygiene instructions, dental screenings, and prophy for the children who have parental consent to participate.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Sealant Program (SAMHD) (half day) Sealants are provided to children at elementary school locations affiliated with the city of San Antonio Metro Health Program as part of School-Based Preventive Dentistry.

Oral Healthcare for Vulnerable Populations (half day) Students rotate two half-days and assist senior dental students with provision of primary and preventive oral healthcare to the homeless population of Haven for Hope.

Juniors (4.5 days)

Ricardo Salinas Clinic (one and a half days) This is part of a required course in Pediatric Dentistry, students receive pediatric dentistry training.

San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic (4.0 days) This clinic is located at the Haven for Hope Homeless facility in downtown San Antonio to provide primary dental care services for special needs patients including the homeless and underserved patients served by the site.

Seniors (26.5 days)

Ricardo Salinas Clinic (3.5 days) Students receive pediatric dentistry training. This program is conducted by the Department of Developmental Dentistry and is a required rotation in the curriculum. 

Laredo Health Department (4.5 days) Students receive pediatric dentistry training. This program takes place at the Laredo Health Department, located in Laredo, Texas. It is conducted by the Department of Developmental Dentistry and is a required rotation in the curriculum.

San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic (4.5 days) This clinic is located at the Haven for Hope Homeless facility in downtown San Antonio to provide primary dental care services for special needs patients including the homeless and underserved patients served by the site. This clinical rotation is a component of GEND 8077.

South Texas Rotation - (two weeks) Senior dental students rotate to one of four clinic systems (FQHCs, Local Health Departments) in South Texas for a minimum of two weeks as part of GEND 8077. Students provide primary dental care services under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the sites (Harlingen, Laredo or San Antonio).

Rural Primary Care – (4.0 days) Senior dental students rotate to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in rural areas of Central Texas for four days as part of GEND 8077. Students provide primary dental care services under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the sites (Lulling, Seguin).

National Programs

COSTEP / Indian Health Service Externship program (SELC # 7010)
Junior dental students are also encouraged to apply for the COSTEP or the Indian Health Service Externship program conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service. Students selected through this program are assigned to dental clinics on Indian reservations for a period of 2-4 weeks. The dental students provide dental care to Native American populations under the supervision of IHS Dental Commissioned Corps Officers and are exposed to the Public Health Service mission.