A Literature Review of Elder Abuse Curriculum in Dental Schools, Dental Hygiene Programs and Continuing Education

AIMS: As mandated reporters of elder abuse in many states, dental providers require training in identifying, reporting, and managing suspected cases. This review aims to identify elder abuse and neglect (EAN) curricular models and training programs found in the literature for dental/dental hygiene (DH) students, and other dental professionals, as well as summarize surveys of EAN's knowledge of practicing dentists/DHs, and to suggest recommendations for enhancing training programs including a dental-focused EAN screening tool. METHODS AND RESULTS: An electronic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane was performed up to and including July 2, 2024, to identify studies on elder abuse education/training found in dental schools, DH programs and continuing education courses for practicing dentists/DH. Nineteen studies on dental/DH curricula or surveys of knowledge about elder abuse were included in this review. Published studies included mailed or in-person surveys as well as in-person or online didactic training session(s) some of which contained pre- and post-session assessments. Survey results indicate that dental/DH students as well as practicing dentists have limited knowledge and confidence in reporting elder abuse. Included studies found that training programs are instrumental in increasing dental/DH student's and providers' knowledge and confidence in recognizing and reporting suspected cases of elder abuse during their clinical encounters. CONCLUSION: Reported dental/DH students and practitioners' knowledge about EAN is limited; however, training programs can improve knowledge and confidence. The inclusion of elder abuse education in dental school/DH curriculum and continuing education courses is needed to ensure current and future dental/DH practitioners possess adequate training in identifying, reporting, and managing suspected cases. The implementation of a standardized elder abuse screening tool for use in a dental clinical setting would be beneficial in identifying possible cases of abuse and neglect.