Service learning is a reciprocal relationship between students and communities1; the focus is on enhancing the learning of all involved: the student, the teacher and the community, all of whom learn something from each other2. Students’ exposure to real life situations outside the classroom allows for application of theory as well as a prime opportunity for the student to work one on one in settings that are non contrived. This allows the student to develop and hone problem solving and critical thinking skills in a safe environment due to the presence of faculty members who are experienced in the field and can provide immediate feedback6. The students further benefit as noted in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene because “the interaction
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Furthermore the agencies involved also benefit as the students involved in the experience provide services that allow for a reduction in costs to prospective patients and or clients. In this methodology expounding citizenship skills in addition to attaining social change is accentuated10. Service learning can be defined as experiential, reciprocal education that occurs only when both the providers and recipients of the service benefit from the activities3. There is also a reflective component to service learning, which expedites the connection between practice and theory thereby allowing for the enhancement of critical thinking2. Essentially service learning augments development of an individual that has an expanded worldview in addition to a greater cultural sensitivity as well as improved problem solving and critical thinking …show more content…
Those with intellectual as well as developmental disabilities, or those that fall into the aged populations have a propensity towards poor oral hygiene, which significantly increases their risk of caries or periodontal disease as well as physical health problems such as: respiratory, cardiovascular or endocrine disease12. Individuals in this category tend to have more difficulty with performing their own oral hygiene and are partially or completely reliant on outside aide to complete the task for them. However, providing oral care to individuals in this sector can be difficult. Care providers may be faced with client’s who are uncooperative to having oral hygiene performed on them; individuals in this sector may also exhibit resistance of varying degrees of severity and caregiver’s often only clean anterior teeth12. In the aged population, edentulousness has been decreasing, leading to an increase risk of caries and periodontal disease as well as tooth wear13. Due to the fact that risk factors are a lifelong accumulation, those in the aged sector face greater risks towards oral problems than those in younger populations and it has been shown that seniors that fall into the dependant category face greater obstacles to accessing dental hygiene care than independent seniors13-14. Seniors who live in assisted living facilities may suffer from improper oral hygiene care due to lack of staff or improperly
Furthermore the agencies involved also benefit as the students involved in the experience provide services that allow for a reduction in costs to prospective patients and or clients. In this methodology expounding citizenship skills in addition to attaining social change is accentuated10. Service learning can be defined as experiential, reciprocal education that occurs only when both the providers and recipients of the service benefit from the activities3. There is also a reflective component to service learning, which expedites the connection between practice and theory thereby allowing for the enhancement of critical thinking2. Essentially service learning augments development of an individual that has an expanded worldview in addition to a greater cultural sensitivity as well as improved problem solving and critical thinking …show more content…
Those with intellectual as well as developmental disabilities, or those that fall into the aged populations have a propensity towards poor oral hygiene, which significantly increases their risk of caries or periodontal disease as well as physical health problems such as: respiratory, cardiovascular or endocrine disease12. Individuals in this category tend to have more difficulty with performing their own oral hygiene and are partially or completely reliant on outside aide to complete the task for them. However, providing oral care to individuals in this sector can be difficult. Care providers may be faced with client’s who are uncooperative to having oral hygiene performed on them; individuals in this sector may also exhibit resistance of varying degrees of severity and caregiver’s often only clean anterior teeth12. In the aged population, edentulousness has been decreasing, leading to an increase risk of caries and periodontal disease as well as tooth wear13. Due to the fact that risk factors are a lifelong accumulation, those in the aged sector face greater risks towards oral problems than those in younger populations and it has been shown that seniors that fall into the dependant category face greater obstacles to accessing dental hygiene care than independent seniors13-14. Seniors who live in assisted living facilities may suffer from improper oral hygiene care due to lack of staff or improperly