b'STATE OF PERIO EDUCATIONCurrent perspectives on periodontal educationSchool of Dentistry. The task force has been charged with looking into what methodologies dental schools are using to teach periodontics to future general practitioners, and who is doing the teaching.In the past, most predoctoral programs used the specialist-based model (also called the discipline-based model) in which students are taught specialty techniques by specialists. Several years ago, the generalist-based (also called the comprehensive care-based model) began to take hold. In this model, most of the specialty teaching and methodology oversight is performed by general dentists, with specialists used primarily for consultation purposes. The task force is particularly interested in determining what percentage of dental schools embrace each model.The task force sent two surveys to dental schools. The first focused on what teaching model each school is using Education is not theas well as the composition of its periodontal faculty. The second focused on how much time is being devoted to filling of a pail, but theteaching periodonticsparticularly on the clinical floor. igniting of a fire. The second survey also gave the task force the opportunity to include questions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on predoctoral dental education, While the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats likely knew littleif anythingsuch as to what extent students are returning to theabout periodontics, his words certainly capture the essence of the roleclinic and whether budget cuts have caused a reduction our profession needs both predoctoral and postdoctoral education to play.in force. Were particularly interested in seeing if the Periospectives spoke with nine Academy members who are deeply involved inpandemic has further reduced either the exposure pre- and postdoctoral periodontal programs to capture their perspectives onpredoctoral students are getting to periodontics or the current state of periodontal education. Topics these members touched onthe role being played by periodontists in predoctoral include the decline in referrals from general dentists; the trend toward both theperiodontal education, said Dr. Okano. He added that generalist-based teaching model and pass/fail grading in predoctoral programs;the results of the two surveys will be compared to those the growing and proper role of implantology in the profession; updates on CODAfrom a similar survey conducted in 2005 and will be and the In-Service examination; and the development of modules for use in bothavailable in late summer or early fall. It will be up to the pre- and postdoctoral programs. Academys Education Committee to determine what, if any, recommendations regarding the future role of Perspectives from the chair of The Task Force on Predoctoral Education periodontists in predoctoral programs will be made to In recent years, many practicing periodontists have concluded that dental schooldental schools based on the task forces report.graduates are not as well-versed in periodontics as was previously the case. TheyWhile Dr. Okano is hesitant to predict the impact of point out not only that their referrals from general dentists are down, but that thethe report, he suspects that schools that have chosen referrals they do get are coming at later stages where treatment can be providedto embrace the generalist-based model will want to less predictably and sometimes not at all. continue with that approach. He added, however, that if In light of these concerns, in 2019 the Academys Board of Trustees approvedthe Academy ends up recommending an increased role the creation of the Task Force on Predoctoral Education led by Dr. David Okano,for periodontists in predoctoral education, he hopes that Associate Professor and Section Head of Periodontics at the University of Utahall dental schools will give that recommendation careful consideration.AAP Periospectives| 6'