Behavioral Sciences (BEH03-DN)

The course provides students with a basic understanding of theories, principles, and strategies in dental public health, preventive dentistry and oral health promotion. It also provides the students with the contextual knowledge, clinical and communication skills, and attitude needed to deliver oral health care for specific communities and populations. While the primary perspective of this course is that of the dentist within the traditional patient-dentist relationship, the course addresses health care issues with the ultimate goal of improving the health of society. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.

The ability to accurately self-evaluate clinical behavior and skills as well as the ability to evaluate and be evaluated by peers are essential qualities of being a competent health-care professional. This multi-year course has two parallel components (Peer Assessment and Self-Assessment) and several distinct goals including: to orient students to the philosophy of peer-assessment and self-assessment and competency at NYUCD; to help students utilize the Self-Assessment ePortfolio instrument; to ensure that students are capable of identifying the skills and knowledge necessary for becoming a competent practitioner and to determine their progress in these skills and knowledge; to provide mentorship to ensure that students feel secure, upon graduation, in their functioning in an interdisciplinary comprehensive healthcare environment; to help students understand the value of maintaining an appropriate public appearance as a professional; to develop students’ skills to offer constructive, culturally-sensitive commentary to team members. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.

Continuation of BEH03-DN 1610. The ability to accurately self-evaluate clinical behavior and skills as well as the ability to evaluate and be evaluated by peers are essential qualities of being a competent health-care professional. This course builds on the principles of Peer Assessment and Self-Assessment to ensure that students are capable of identifying the skills and knowledge necessary for becoming a competent practitioner and to determine their progress in these skills and knowledge. Faculty provide mentorship to ensure that students feel secure, upon graduation, in their functioning in an interdisciplinary comprehensive healthcare environment and develop students’ skills to offer constructive, culturally-sensitive commentary to team members. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.

This course will provide foundational knowledge in translating principles of human behavior and behavior change affecting oral health into competent and responsive provider behavior. It will introduce beginning dental professionals to theories, empirical findings, and practical applications relevant to dental practice and to establishing effective and responsive doctor-patient relationships. The course will provide training of: theories of and research on psychological and social determinants of oral health; theories of behavior and behavior change; motivating patients to improve their oral health behaviors; identifying and responding to behavioral health problems in a dental context; identifying and responding to fear and pain in a dental context; and identifying and responding to child, partner, and elder abuse and neglect. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.

This course will expand on the students’ foundation knowledge regarding effective patient-doctor communication, working with difficult patients, and developing positive therapeutic alliances. Sessions will include lectures and trigger tapes to incorporate problematic (yet not uncommon) communication issues in the dental/health clinic setting. Healthcare communication across diverse populations will address issues in working with diverse patients (e.g., varying ethnicities, cultural groups, and special needs). Communication styles, expectations and health care needs from the perspectives of the provider, patient and health care system will be discussed in the context of patient management. Individual reflective exercises as well as panel discussions with health providers will be included in this course. Treatment outcomes (e.g., enhancing patient well-being and oral health-related quality of life) will be highlighted. Further, addressing personal stressors in the provider, burnout and ways to promote personal well-being will be discussed and assessed. The course includes a clinical rotation in which each student interviews standardized patient actors and receives evaluations for content and interpersonal skills. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Core curriculum.

Elective course in which students receive training in pedagogy and function as tutors to individual students or small groups, primarily in Basic Science and Diagnostic Science core courses in the D1 and D2 years. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Elective.

Elective course in which students receive training in pedagogy and function as teaching assistants within the D1 Dental Anatomy and Single Tooth Restoration courses, with a focus on teaching digital impression-taking and modeling techniques. This course is open only to students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. Elective.