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In 2025, the General Practice Dental Residency program at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Dental Medicine transitioned to a new rotation format, allowing residents to work alongside Department of Family Medicine (DFM) clinicians as part of an outpatient Family Medicine rotation.
When asked about this newly-established rotation, Laura Kuhne, DMD, General Practice Program Director for the School of Dental Medicine Residency, said the residents have enjoyed their time at the DFM Clinics.
“During this new rotation through the CU Family Medicine clinics, the dental residents have shared that they enjoy seeing the other side of their medical consults come to life through the problem‑focused exams they observe during their time in the clinic.”
General Practice Dental Residency
The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Dental Medicine General Practice Residency is a one-year, hospital-based program affiliated with the University of Colorado Hospital. Established in 1979, the program accepts six dental residents each year. Graduates who pursue this residency are typically seeking additional clinical experience, particularly with treating medically complex patients in a hospital setting.
The program also provides an opportunity for dental residents to work within an interprofessional healthcare team—often for the first time. While taking hospital calls, residents consult on inpatients and emergency patients and perform urgent procedures in the Emergency Department, such as splinting avulsed teeth from trauma, performing incision and drainage for large infections, and managing hemostasis for postsurgical patients.
The Transition to Family Medicine
Previously, dental residents completed their rotations with an inpatient Internal Medicine team. However, the program has transitioned to a new outpatient Family Medicine rotation, as program leaders believe working in a Family Medicine environment is more applicable to residents’ future careers—particularly those seeking positions in private practice after graduation.
Family Medicine offers a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to community and patient care, and bringing dental residents into DFM clinics created valuable opportunities for physicians to collaborate on interdisciplinary health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, infections, osteoporosis, medication management, and access to care. This sentiment was echoed by Juanita Melau, MD, Senior Instructor of Family Medicine and family physician at CU Medicine – Family Medicine Centennial:
“It’s been a fun experience from both ends, I think. Family Med. is a uniquely prime specialty to reinforce interdisciplinary care in all directions. But with how our healthcare and insurance systems are organized, dental care can often be overlooked as part of its own secret garden. The collaboration with the Dental Residency was a nice space to share perspectives on conditions we both see—diabetes, hypertension, infections, osteoporosis, medications, and access to care. I see it as a meaningful reminder that we’re all part of the same care team and have so much to learn from one another.” Experience with the DFM Clinics
As a requirement for accreditation as a hospital-based dental residency, each resident was required to do ~40 hours rotating on a medicine team. The residents completed their hours of training at three DFM Clinics: CU Medicine - Family Medicine Centennial, CU Medicine Family Medicine - Louisville, and CU Medicine Family Medicine - Aurora Wellness Community Health Center. Not only did the residents gain valuable experience, but the DFM clinicians were equally excited to have them—reporting that they learned from the residents as well.
“From my perspective, the Family Med. clinics have really enjoyed the energy and unique perspective that the dental residents have brought to our clinics. We have all learned from them as well! There have even been some cases where they were able to provide insight on a patient’s situation from a dental perspective that has really helped us think about how to care for the patient,” said Jennifer Hronkin, MD, CU Family Medicine Community Practice Group Medical Director and Assistant Professor in Family Medicine. “We look forward to continuing to grow and improve this rotation in the future and would welcome any clinics who’d like to host a dental resident to reach out to me.”
Reflecting on the experience, Haley Wolf, PAC, Senior Instructor of Family Medicine and PA at CU Medicine – Family Medicine Louisville, noted the significance of this collaboration. “Having dental residents embedded in primary care has been invaluable in strengthening the conversation around oral health and highlighting its direct impact on the everyday disease processes managed by primary care providers.”
A Commitment to Community and Education
The six dental residents and three DFM clinics collaborated to broaden medical education while fostering a unique environment where physicians learned from one another’s varied experiences, all united by a shared commitment to caring for our community and its families. The Department of Family Medicine is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside these residents and looks forward to future collaborations.
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