Shuman named MDA Guest of Honor
When you can look back on a long career of helping the underserved receive access to dental care, then you deserve all the laurels, plenty of thanks and perhaps a few awards, too. That’s certainly true in the case of Stephen Shuman, DDS, MS, FGSA, FICD, professor, director of the Division of Hospital and Special Care Dentistry and director of the Oral Health Services for Older Adults Program at the School of Dentistry. After being named the 2024 Guest of Honor for the Minneapolis District Dental Society (MDDS), he recently topped that honor by being named the 2025 Guest of Honor for the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA).
In its announcement of the award, the association noted that it recognizes his “exceptional commitment to advancing dental care and to improving access to services for underserved populations.” A long-time member of the MDA, he’s the organization’s chair of the Barriers to Care Committee. The association noted, “He’s highlighted and advocated for solutions to bridge care gaps, emphasizing a commitment to equity and inclusivity within the profession.”
Shuman helped develop the ACT on Alzheimer's: For Dental Providers training for dementia-friendly dental practices with support from the University’s Northstar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, Trellis (formerly the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging), the MDA and Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. He has been leading in-person seminars on the topic across the state. He praised the MDA for supporting this work, noting that it’s “tremendous that organized dentistry is concerned about this issue.”
Like others who are working to help those without adequate access to care, he’s concerned about the tremendous unmet need that exists. “We’re backed up with patients for care in our school’s Special Healthcare Needs Clinic, as well as for those who need operating room dental care in the hospital,” he said. While he sees “interest and receptivity” among the student body, the practicalities of serving the underserved, especially those with special care needs, can make it a challenging choice for new dentists. “There are easier ways to make a living in dentistry than this,” he said. “These patients are more challenging to work with, it takes longer to get the work done, and many may be on public programs that offer smaller reimbursements. There are too few providers who want to do this type of care.”
As he prepares to turn 70 this year, Shuman says there is still much to be done. “I want to be around for a modernization and expansion of our clinic,” he said. “We need a more up-to-date clinic with more space to do our work, which often requires more room to accommodate patients who may be in wheelchairs, additional staff and caregivers who may need to be present, and additional equipment like mechanical lifts.
He also expressed a hope to solidify staffing and faculty for special patient care in the School of Dentistry, perhaps with the addition of an endowed chair, “to make sure this important work continues,” he said. “The need is not going away, and we’re one of the few providers in the state offering this type of care. I feel good that we can provide the specialized care that so many folks need, but I also know that we need help and we can’t do this with the few providers we now have.”