August 2014 ■ Journal of Dental Education 1205 Interprofessional Education Blending Public Health into Dental Education: A.T. Still University’s D.M.D./M.P.H. Program Donald S. Altman, D.D.S., M.P.H., M.B.A., M.A., D.H.Sc.; Shachi D. Shantinath, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D.; Marsha A. Presley, Ph.D.; Aesha C. Turner, M.S. Abstract: As dental education across the United States undergoes growth and change in an effort to improve access to dental care, one dental school, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, established in 2003, designed its initial curriculum with innovation in mind. One of those innovations was the introduction of an online certiicate in public health that can be used as the foundation for a Master’s in Public Health (M.P.H.) degree with a dental emphasis, which students may complete concurrent with their dental education. This article discusses the educational intersection between dentistry and public health and describes how this dental school uses an online public health curriculum to accomplish this integration. It also presents the potential advantages and disadvantages of obtaining the M.P.H. degree concurrent with the dental school training. Dr. Altman is Dean and Professor, A.T. Still University Arizona College of Graduate Health Studies and Director of Public Health, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health; Dr. Shantinath is Associate Professor of Public Health, A.T. Still University Arizona College of Graduate Health Studies and Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health; Dr. Presley is Academic Advisor, A.T. Still University Arizona College of Graduate Health Studies; and Ms. Turner is Sponsored Projects Coordinator, A.T. Still University Sponsored Programs. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Donald S. Altman, A.T. Still University Arizona College of Graduate Health Studies, 5835 E. Still Circle, Mesa, AZ 85206; 480-219-6008; daltman@atsu.edu. Keywords: dental education, public health dentistry, public health, interprofessional education, online education, e-learning Submitted for publication 10/17/13; accepted 12/19/13 A lthough the oral health of the nation as a whole has seen signiicant improvements over the last few decades, 1 access to dental health care remains a signiicant issue. For example, untreated dental caries in children results in untreated pain, permanent tooth loss, spreading infection, and the loss of ifty-one million hours of school each year. 2 The barriers to oral health care access are nu- merous and complex but can be roughly subdivided into three main areas of concern: socioeconomic, geographic location, and the reluctance of providers to serve disenfranchised populations. 3 In an effort to increase access to dental care, dental education in the United States is undergoing growth and change. A dozen dental schools have opened in the last ten years, 4 some of which are exploring and adopting nontraditional ways of pre- paring and motivating dental students to engage the access to care issues found throughout the country. These schools begin by recruiting and selecting students who have a commitment to service and value the schools’ mission and then provide students with community-based clinical training in rural and underserved communities. 5,6 Most established dental schools are adopting community-based clinical train- ing as well. 7,8 Furthermore, many dental schools are incorporating courses on interpersonal communica- tion skills designed to increase providers’ ability to communicate with a diverse patient population. 8 Finally, both established and new dental schools are recruiting underrepresented minority and low- income students, many of whom are more likely to provide service to underserved populations upon graduation. 5,9 These innovations in dental education are be- ing undertaken due to the belief that the selection of dental students coupled with how and what we teach dental students today will have a tremendous impact on the dental workforce of the future. 5,10,11 However, simply providing compassionate students with a qual- ity clinical education and exposure to underserved populations is insuficient. To effect improvement of the overall oral health of underserved populations, whether in community settings or private practice, an