Division of Community Oral Health

Division of Community Oral Health

Committed to improving oral health for our patients and our local and global communities, Penn Dental Medicine’s Division of Community Oral Health is responsible for the required predoctoral didactic and community based experiential and clinical education in community and public health, health promotion, cultural competency, ethics, behavioral management and practice management. The Division offers an elective community health honors program that provides students with in-depth experience of at least 120 hours at a Penn Dental Medicine approved community site. The Division also coordinates the dual degree DMD/MPH program in collaboration with the Perelman School of Medicine.

The Division’s academically based service learning program provides the framework for faculty and students to expand community engagement in the Philadelphia region with patients traditionally underserved by dentistry, such as low-income adults and children, including preschool and school age children, elderly, and those patients with medical complex conditions. The Division maintains active engagement with the following community partners: School District of Philadelphia, Mercy LIFE, Homeless Health Initiative, United Community Clinics, Puentes de Salud, and University City Hospitality Coalition.

The Division maintains a robust profile of community engaged scholarship and research projects, and has received four HRSA training grants to support community and public health training programs in collaboration with the Division’s community partners.

 


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Faculty
Joan Gluch, PhD, RDH, PHDHP

Associate Dean for Academic Policies, Division Chief and Professor of Clinical Community Oral Health.

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Giving
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Dental Hygiene Research & Innovation Fund

Annual Giving Fund


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