Integrating Spanish Language & Culture into a Dental Hygiene Curriculum Katya M. Hall, MA and Lisa J. Rowley, CDA, RDH, MS Pacific University, School of Dental Health Science, Hillsboro, Oregon Overview The Dental Hygiene Program at Pacific University is located in a community with a high percentage of low-income people of Hispanic origin. The majority of this population speak only Spanish and most have never received dental treatment due to language, cultural and economic barriers. Spanish language & culture have been integrated throughout Pacific’s dental hygiene curriculum to help students communicate more effectively with these patients and enhance student understanding of the unique needs of this underserved population. Spanish in the Dental Hygiene Program Prerequisite Course Work: A one semester course in Spanish language is one of the prerequisites for the Dental Hygiene Program. This course is intended to provide students with a basic introduction to Spanish language skills before they enter the program. Dental Hygiene Curriculum: The dental hygiene curriculum includes two courses in Spanish for Dental Professions. During the junior year of the program, students take a 1-credit course during the fall semester and a 2-credit course during the spring semester. These courses provide an introduction to Hispanic cultures, as well as development of Spanish language skills to promote effective dental communication with Spanish-speaking individuals & groups. During the senior year of the program, our Spanish instructor spends approximately 4 hours each week in our clinic to evaluate student interactions with their Spanish-speaking patients. Clinical Experience: Over 90% of the patients treated by students in our on-campus clinic are of Hispanic origin & approximately 75% only speak Spanish. All print materials & electronic patient records are available in both English & Spanish. Students can access the Caesy system from their chairside computers to show their patients educational videos which are also available in Spanish. Fieldwork Experience: Students in our program complete extensive off-campus fieldwork rotations at more than 15 community-based settings. One of these settings is the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center Dental Clinic which provides dental services primarily to Spanish-speaking patients who have limited access to healthcare. Students also use portable dental equipment to provide dental services to Spanish-speaking migrant farm workers at local vineyards during the summer months. Student Survey Results 1.The course work in Spanish language & culture improved my ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients in the clinic. Strongly Agree29% Agree42% Neutral29% 2. The course work in Spanish language & culture improved my ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients on the telephone. Strongly Agree21% Agree43% Neutral36% 3. The course work in Spanish language & culture improved my understanding of barriers to dental care for patients who do not speak English. Strongly Agree 7% Agree57% Neutral14% Disagree22% 4. The course work in Spanish language & culture should continue to be included in the Dental Hygiene Program. Strongly Agree43% Agree36% Neutral 7% Disagree14% Conclusions Integrating Spanish language & culture into the dental hygiene curriculum has been both a challenging & rewarding experience. Initially, many students are resistant to taking Spanish for Dental Professions along with their other dental hygiene courses. They also express anxiety about trying to speak Spanish with their patients. When they begin to see patients in the clinic, the students quickly appreciate how even their limited Spanish language skills improve their ability to communicate & develop rapport with their patients. Most of our patients do not have access to dental health providers who speak Spanish. Our patients feel welcome & accepted in our clinic because our students make the effort to communicate with them in their own language. Our patients often express surprise & gratitude that we include Spanish language & culture in our curriculum. Student Comments “I know a lot of people will whine here but they should see themselves from the outside. So many people have improved so much, now they are chatting in Spanish left and right. They all know how to relate to this culture and what to say, what to avoid. So despite the criticism it lifted the Spanish and cultural IQ of all of us.” “All of us are capable of speaking on the phone now. Initially, they all asked others to call for them but eventually all got over their fears and now, even if not correctly, but people communicate in Spanish. This is what it is all about anyway, so please keep Spanish in the curriculum. Some students have no idea what an additional benefit this gave us.” “It did help me really understand where these patients are coming from. It was like an inside view without having to have it come from the patient.” “Language is a barrier for the care providers as well. I can definitely understand the difficulties our patients experience.” “No excuse, Spanish should be present in this program, it sets us apart from other hygiene schools and our patient base is primarily Spanish- speaking. Without that skill, we wouldn’t be able to communicate with our patients.” “Students would be completely unable to function with our population of patients without it.”