51²è¹Ý

Dental Outreach Selective Rotation 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 Selective (SELC # 8221) - for senior dental students. During the academic year, senior dental students have the option to rotate to the SAM Ministries shelter for interdisciplinary health professional training (Wednesday evenings in conjunction with dental hygiene, medical students and family practice residents) to provide primary dental care services for special needs patients, including the homeless and underserved patients served by the site. They also have the option to provide outreach dental screenings and primary care to the homeless population in a mobile van setting at Haven for Hope.

Local and Global Oral Health Immersion Programs (SELC # 8035) - This Selective provides dental students with immersive experiences in both local and global oral health settings. Emphasizing population health and community engagement, the program offers experiential learning guided by UTHSA faculty, staff, and community partners. Students learn to apply their cultural humility and patient management training in evidence-based primary oral healthcare settings and gain insights into healthcare delivery across cultural and economic settings.
The immersions broaden students' perspectives, strengthen professional growth, and highlight challenges and opportunities in community-based oral health. Reflection is encouraged throughout to promote thoughtful, patient-centered care.
Sites include local clinics in San Antonio (SARHC, CUB, El Bari), border regions of South Texas (e.g., Del Rio), statewide outreach events (TMOMS), and global experiences in the Dominican Republic (international). Opportunities are offered on a first-come, first-served basis through the main organizers, such as the Christian Medical and Dental Association of San Antonio (CMDA), San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic, El Bari Community Health Center, and Texas Mission of Mercy. Enrollment is based on program capacity to ensure well-supported, high-quality experiences. All dental care is provided under the direct supervision of the Dental School faculty.

Community Clinical Selective (SELC # 8032) - Each summer, the Dental School (through the South Texas Border Initiative) offers an elective outreach program (2 weeks) that assigns rising DS4 students to affiliated clinics in South Texas (San Antonio, Brownsville, Harlingen, and Laredo). Dental students provide dental care to patients under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the designated affiliated clinic sites. Housing provided by AHEC, the Center for South Texas, and the Hispanic Center of Excellence, HRSA grants.

Preventive Dentistry Selective (SELC # 7120) - for rising sophomore dental students. During the summer, dental students rotate to Mercy Ministries of Laredo or to 51²è¹Ý of Texas Rio Grande Valley 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 Rio Grande Valley regions of South Texas. Students work with other organizations, health professionals, medical students/residents, 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 and the Hispanic Center of Excellence.

Community Service Selective (SELC # 7088) – established several years ago when dental students submitted a proposal to the Curriculum Committee to create a vehicle by which students could interact with the local community by participating in such projects as Habitat for Humanity (building homes for the poor), United Way’s Days of Caring/Sharing, Christmas Under the Bridge (for the homeless); etc. Students also volunteer at Morgan’s Wonderland to assist at this theme park for children with special needs, and at the Children’s Shelter, where they assist with programs for children who are away from their families.

Community Service Program in conjunction with Edgewood Independent School District 
Second graders from EISD (> 700) receive preventive dental care services at the 51²è¹Ý School of Dentistry. These clinics are held during two half days in February each year.
 

Dental Student Rotations

Freshmen (1 day)

Head Start Centers in San Antonio (0.5 day) to participate in a fluoride varnish program for students who have parental consent.

Care with Compassion (0.5 day) Students rotate to Haven for Hope, a transformational campus for the homeless population of San Antonio. Students are provided an overview of the campus and services, as well as orientation to the San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic, where UTHSA-SoD dental students provide primary care services.

Sophomores (2.5 days)

Rotations included in the Introduction to Patient Care Module:

Pediatric Dentistry (0.5 days) Students rotate to Ricardo Salinas clinic to assist with pediatric dentistry procedures

Community-Based Sealant Program (0.5 day) students rotate to various elementary schools throughout the San Antonio Independent School District and provide dental screenings and sealants to students identified in need of sealants.

Oral Healthcare for Vulnerable Populations (0.5 day) students rotate one half-day and assist senior dental students with the provision of primary and preventive oral healthcare to the homeless population of Haven for Hope.

Population Health: School-Based Prevention (One-Day Experience)
In partnership with the Edgewood Independent School District, second-year dental students and senior nursing students (UTHSA Students) take part in a school-based prevention program focused on children’s health and empowerment. Students are trained to provide age-appropriate oral and hand hygiene instructions, and nutrition health information. Additionally, the dental students provide tobacco intervention messages and dental screenings for children who return signed parental consent. This experience builds upon dental students’ existing knowledge and skills in prevention, addressing oral health risk assessments, drivers of health, interprofessional communication, and teamwork in a community-based population health care setting.

Juniors (4.5 days)

Ricardo Salinas Clinic (Pediatric Dentistry) (0.5 day) as part of a required course in Pediatric Dentistry.

San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic (4 days) is located at the Haven for Hope Homeless facility in downtown San Antonio to provide primary dental care services for homeless and underserved patients served by the site.

Seniors (32 days)

Ricardo Salinas Clinic (3.5 days). This pediatric dentistry training program takes place at the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. It is conducted by the Department of Developmental Dentistry and is a required rotation in the curriculum. This rotation is part of GEND 8070.

Laredo Health Department (4.5 days). This pediatric dentistry training program takes place at the Laredo Health Department in Laredo, Texas and is conducted by the Department of Developmental Dentistry and is a required rotation in the curriculum. This rotation is part of GEND 8070.

San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic (4.5 days) is located at the Haven for Hope Homeless facility in downtown San Antonio to provide primary dental care services for homeless and underserved patients served by the site. This rotation is part of GEND 8070.

South Texas Rotation - (15 days)  rotate to one of five clinic systems in South Texas for 3 weeks as part of GEND 8070. They provide primary dental care services under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the sites (Brownsville, Harlingen, Laredo, or San Antonio).

Rural Primary Care – (4.5 days) Senior dental students rotate to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in rural areas of Central Texas for four days as part of GEND 8070. Students provide primary dental care services under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the sites (Lulling and Seguin).

DSO Rotation– (15 days) rotate to one of six affiliated clinics for 3 weeks as part of GEND 8070. They provide comprehensive dental care services under the supervision of adjunct faculty at the sites in Brownsville and South Texas (McAllen).