Dummett C O
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
J Natl Med Assoc. 1998 May;90(5):309-16.
The authorization of departments of community dentistry and public health in the nation's dental schools is a relatively recent innovation in dental education. Such a department was established at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in 1966, as part of the School of Medicine's effort to share responsibility in providing both access and availability of health services in inner-city Los Angeles, California. Dentistry was included in the protocol submitted to the US Office of Economic Opportunity to build a neighborhood health center in Watts, operated under the joint jurisdiction of the medical and dental schools. The dental division of the health center was designated a satellite of the community dentistry department. The department envisioned future changes during the revolutionary 1960s when all aspects of the nation were experiencing upheaval as traditional concepts were challenged by new attitudes. The nation's leaders in government and education as well as in the health professions were stimulated by scientific and technologic discoveries. Dentistry had come of age, having gained the respect of other health-care disciplines. It was a time of expanded exploration of means toward a healthier populace and a more sensitive ethical provider of health care. In one decade, the USC community dentistry department accomplished a major shift in attitude about the specialty from one of pervasive opposition and antipathy to that of acceptance and even enthusiasm. The department became competitive with similar units nationwide in educating dental students and practitioners to fulfill their responsibilities at the highest level of proficiency and to be true to the trust bestowed on them by the public. In pursuit of these goals, the department reflected credit on dentistry and the University of Southern California.
美国牙科学校中社区牙科与公共卫生部门的授权是牙科教育领域一项相对较新的创新举措。1966年，南加州大学牙科学院设立了这样一个部门，作为医学院在加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市中心提供医疗服务可及性和可得性方面分担责任努力的一部分。在提交给美国经济机会办公室的建设瓦茨社区健康中心的方案中纳入了牙科内容，该中心由医学院和牙科学院共同管辖运营。健康中心的牙科部门被指定为社区牙科部门的一个分支机构。该部门预见到了20世纪60年代变革时期的未来变化，当时随着传统观念受到新观念的挑战，国家的各个方面都在经历动荡。政府、教育界以及医疗行业的国家领导人受到科学技术发现的激励。牙科已经成熟，赢得了其他医疗保健学科的尊重。这是一个扩大探索实现民众更健康以及培养更具敏感性的道德医疗服务提供者方法的时期。在十年时间里，南加州大学社区牙科部门实现了对该专业态度的重大转变，从普遍的反对和反感转变为接受甚至热情。该部门在教育牙科学生和从业者以最高水平的专业能力履行职责并无愧于公众赋予他们的信任方面，与全国类似单位展开了竞争。为了追求这些目标，该部门为牙科和南加州大学赢得了荣誉。
