Training dentists for an aging society

Rosario García-Huidobro Kirberg, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of San Sebastián. Comments Chile faces a health challenge that also challenges higher education: how to train professionals capable of responding to the needs of a population that is living longer. In Dentistry, this question takes on special relevance. Living longer must also mean living better. Preserving oral health contributes to maintaining autonomy and quality of life when aging. The 80/20 Oral Health Strategy proposes reaching age 80 with at least 20 of one's own teeth, a benchmark for maintaining functional dentition that allows one to eat, speak, and smile with confidence. The University of San Sebastián is part of this initiative, supported by the College of Dental Surgeons of Chile and the Medical College. In Japan, the country that inspired this initiative, more than half of octogenarians achieve this goal. In Chile, it does not reach one in ten. During their training, future dentists must learn to make decisions based on scientific evidence and to understand the conditions in which their patients live. Continuing a treatment can be difficult when each appointment involves traveling several hours or losing a day of work. Recognizing these barriers and seeking answers together with people is also part of good clinical preparation. In Ayacara, a town in the Chaitén commune whose access depends on maritime transport, our students attended to inhabitants of three neighboring localities. Although Ayacara has a Community Health Center, many of those people find it difficult to get there. Experiences like this show that training is also built outside the classrooms. Starting next year, we will return with the University of New York, with a team of various specialties. The commitment is to return for at least three consecutive years to ensure continuity of care and accompany that population over time. Responding to these needs requires training that advances alongside science and technology. At USS, our researchers participate in teaching and bring the generation of knowledge closer to the students. This training incorporates tools such as digital dentistry, which expands the possibilities for diagnosis, planning, and treatment. Linking these advances with the care of people in different contexts strengthens their clinical preparation and gives concrete meaning to the vocation of service. The quality of training is also determined by how our graduates respond to the needs of an aging country. That is the commitment that universities must assume: to train professionals who put knowledge at the service of a better life for people. Reaching 80 with one's own teeth should not be a privilege, but part of what it means to age well. *Rosario García-Huidobro Kirberg, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of San Sebastián.