The increasing aging of the population poses unique challenges to oral health, requiring urgent reforms of geriatric curricula in dental and medical education. Traditional dental curricula may not adequately prepare students to address these multifaceted challenges. An interdisciplinary approach integrates geriatrics into oral health education, promoting collaboration among dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and other health care disciplines. This model enhances students’ understanding of geriatric patient care by emphasizing integrated care, disease prevention, and patient-centered strategies. By incorporating interdisciplinary learning, students develop a holistic view of aging and oral health, thereby improving outcomes for older patients. Curriculum reforms should include case-based learning, clinical rotations in geriatric settings, and interdisciplinary educational programs that focus on developing collaborative skills. In line with the World Health Organization’s call for healthy aging, these innovations will ensure that future health care providers are equipped to provide optimal oral care to an aging population. – Strengthen geriatric training: Increase attention to the oral health issues of an aging population within dental and public health curricula. – Promote interdisciplinary collaboration: Encourage teamwork among students in dental, medical, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and allied health programs to improve comprehensive patient care. – Address unique geriatric needs: Equip future providers with the knowledge and skills to manage age-related oral conditions such as xerostomia, periodontitis, and tooth loss. – Monitor drug interactions: Provide knowledge to identify the effects of systemic and topical therapies on aging oral tissues. – Integrate clinical experiences: Implement experiential learning, including rotations in geriatric care settings, to enhance practical skills. – Promoting patient-centered care: Developing a holistic approach to care that takes into account the overall health and well-being of geriatric patients. – Developing innovative teaching strategies: Implementing case-based learning, technology-enhanced simulation, and interdisciplinary discussions to enhance learning. – Improving health care outcomes: Ensuring graduates are prepared to provide high-quality, accessible, and preventive dental care to older adults. This Research Topic focuses on an innovative reform of the geriatric dental curriculum with an emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach. The objective of the study is to address the gaps in traditional dental education by integrating geriatric training, thereby strengthening the collaboration between dentists, physicians, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and allied health disciplines. Authors are invited to contribute original research, systematic reviews, case studies, and educational models on the topics of: • Interdisciplinary education (IPE) in geriatric oral health • Impact of systemic and topical therapies on geriatric oral health • Curriculum development and implementation strategies • Clinical training and rotations in geriatric settings • Use of technology and simulation in geriatric dental education • Barriers and challenges to integrating geriatrics into the dental curriculum • Patient-centered and preventive approaches to geriatric oral care We welcome empirical studies, literature reviews, policy analyses, and innovative educational structures that will help improve geriatric oral health education and improve health outcomes in the aging population.
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Keywords: geriatric dentistry, curriculum, interdisciplinary education, oral health, collaborative practice
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Post time: Sep-06-2025