Experience and Preparedness of Primary Care Dentistry Residents in Dental Care Delivery to Rural Communities in South Texas

ABSTRACT Objectives To assess dental residents' self‐perceived preparedness to provide dental care and their experiences delivering care in rural communities in South Texas. Materials and Methods This cross‐sectional study evaluates advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD, n = 19) and pediatric dentistry (PD, n = 20) residents' preparation for rural dentists and experiences providing dental care in rural South Texas. Residents participated in a rural dental practice management workshop, followed by clinical rotations at rural community health centers (CHCs) in South Texas. At the conclusion of each CHC rotation, residents completed a Resident's Online Activity Report (ROAR) reflecting on their preparation for rural dental practice, ability to manage patients with complex healthcare needs, and understanding of perceived barriers to care and access issues in rural communities. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize residents' patient encounters, preparation to treat patients with complex healthcare needs, and evaluation of rural clinical rotation experience. Open‐ended responses were summarized narratively. Results Primary care dentistry residents participated in 78 rural rotations and completed 74 ROARs (94.9% rate). AEGD residents self‐reported (rating system: 1 = no preparation, 4 = excellent preparation) that they were best prepared to treat dental pain (3.54) and manage patients with tobacco use (3.17), while PD residents cited being well prepared to manage early childhood caries (3.76) and dental and facial trauma (3.68). Overall, PD residents (4.19) had a higher mean rating for clinical rotations at rural CHCs than AEGD (4.01). Residents indicated that the most useful parts of the rotations were the formulation of treatment plans guided by specialist faculty, using available resources to provide dental care, and understanding challenges to receiving dental care in rural areas. Conclusions Didactic education in rural dental practice combined with clinical rotations at rural CHCs across South Texas, improved primary care dentistry residents' understanding of challenges faced by rural populations and enhanced their clinical and patient management skills, better preparing them to care for populations with high burden of oral disease and complex healthcare needs.