To treat an aging population, HSDM enhances geriatric training for dental students
Through expanded classroom and clinical instruction, students are gaining deeper exposure to the dental care needs of older adult patients
Inside a classroom at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), dental students shuffle carefully across the room wearing weighted cuffs, restrictive gloves, knee and arm braces, and glasses that blur their vision. The simulation, known as the GeriSuit, is designed to mimic the physical and sensory impairments many older adults experience and help future dentists better understand how aging can affect everything from mobility and communication to routine dental visits.
The exercise is part of HSDM’s enhanced geriatric dentistry curriculum, “Predoctoral Oral Health Education and Training for an Aging America (POHETAA),” a federally funded initiative supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Integrated throughout the School’s four-year curriculum, the program prepares DMD students to care for a growing population of older adults with increasingly complex healthcare needs.
“Enhancing geriatric content through didactic and experiential learning helps dental students better understand the medical, cognitive, functional, and social complexities of caring for older adults,” said Christine Riedy, Delta Dental of Massachusetts Associate Professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology.
Older adults continue to face significant oral health challenges, including gum disease, tooth decay, dry mouth caused by medications, tooth loss, and limited access to affordable dental care. At the same time, the number of healthcare professionals specializing in geriatric care is declining, creating a growing need for providers trained to care for aging patients.
The program integrates age-friendly care, interprofessional education, and social determinants of health into HSDM’s four-year curriculum. Students learn frameworks such as the Geriatric Five M’s—Mind, Mobility, Medications, Multicomplexity, and what Matters most—while also gaining experience in collaborative, patient-centered care.
Victoria Tian, DMD26, said the program has broadened her understanding of the role dental professionals play in supporting patients’ overall well-being as they age. “The program taught me to evaluate patients more holistically and create treatment plans that are not only clinically appropriate, but also realistic based on a patient’s overall health and functional needs,” she said.
Tian’s class was the first to complete a formal Geriatrics and Aging rotation during their second year, including an interactive session simulating a visit to the HSDM clinic as an older adult patient with functional limitations. Students also participated in community-based activities that provided oral health education and screenings for older adults while helping them better understand how the built environment can affect access to care and social well-being.
During their third year, Tian and her classmates joined pharmacy, social work, nutrition, and nursing students in an interprofessional geriatric case exercise. “Working across disciplines challenged me to communicate clinical perspectives clearly and consider care from multiple professional lenses,” she said.
“Experiences with older adult patients and frameworks such as the Geriatric Five M’s and the Seattle Care Pathway build empathy, strengthen communication skills, and support more person-centered, age-friendly care,” said Lisa Thompson, assistant professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology.
The program also inspired Tian’s research interests. After interviewing veterans during a Give Veterans a Smile Day event, she became interested in whether oral health outcomes differed between veterans and nonveterans as they age. She later conducted a research project focused on men age 65 and older that examined the relationship between veteran status, recent dental visits, and significant tooth loss. Her findings showed that veterans were more likely than nonveterans to have lost six or more teeth, though both groups were equally likely to have visited a dentist within the past year.
“This project reinforced the importance of preventive care across the lifespan in helping older adults maintain their oral health and quality of life over time,” said Tian.
Following graduation in May, Tian will pursue a general dentistry residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and hopes to continue providing care that respects each patient’s individual experiences and needs.
“My experiences at HSDM affirmed that every patient’s circumstances shape how dental care should be delivered,” said Tian. “Providing patient-centered care is what continues to make dentistry so engaging for me and motivates me to keep learning throughout my career.”