Walker Methodist Health Center

Local Opportunity

Walker Dental Clinic, located in south Minneapolis, provides the opportunity for dental and dental hygiene students to enhance their skills in geriatric care to meet the needs of our growing older population.  Older adults may more frequently present with complex dental, medical, and psycho-social  problems and challenging oral health conditions.  Lack of social supports, limited financial resources, and functional dependence may further complicate the oral health status of some older individuals.  Meeting the oral health needs of older adults in long-term care poses further challenges due to the unique and evolving nature of that environment.  During this rotation, students will provide clinical care for older adults from the community and the attached long-term care facility, under the guidance of the dental school’s Oral Health Services for Older Adults (OHSOA) faculty and staff.  Opportunities will also be available for students to participate in inter-professional activities, such as Geriatric Grand Rounds, with other geriatrics faculty and students from the University’s Academic Health Center.