Research/Areas of Interest
Public Health, Geriatrics, Interprofessional Practice Education and Health Care Policy and Reimbursement Issues
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Anatomy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 1990
- Doctorate of Medical Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, US, 1994
- Master 's of Public Health in Health Care Management, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, US, 1995
Biography
Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Dr. Karin Andrenyi-Arsenault graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from McGill University. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1994 and later obtained a Master's in Public Health in Health Care Management from Harvard University. Additionally, she completed a Mini-Residency in Geriatric and Long-Term Care at the University of Minnesota and holds a certificate in Elder Care Law from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Karin V. Arsenault, D.M.D., M.P.H., D94, Assistant Professor, joined the Department of Public Health and Community Service at Tufts University in 2019 and serves as the Director of the Geriatric. Her involvement spans predoctoral didactic and community service-learning curricula, where she oversees the geriatric dentistry course, seminar, community outreach rotations, and fourth-year competency.
Dr. Arsenault leads the population-based initiative on Oral Health and Aging. This integrated, person-centered program considers
behavioral, social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Her research focuses on successful aging and enhancing access to oral care for vulnerable and underserved adults over 50 in Greater Boston. Key topics she addresses include the implementation of telehealth and teledentistry to minimize barriers to access, the impact of social determinants on oral health, self-perceived
oral health needs, and the use of intra-oral cameras for patient education and case acceptance.
Dr. Arsenault is the Principal Investigator for the NextFifty Initiative and is also engaged with an HRSA grant. Both initiatives share a
common goal of addressing the complex challenges associated with oral health within vulnerable and underserved populations. These efforts are grounded in an integrated, interprofessional, person-centered approach that emphasizes cultural competence, health literacy, and the role of social determinants of health.
In addition, she is the principal investigator for a groundbreaking disability and aging simulation project funded by the Tufts
Springboard grant. This project explores the effects of a disability simulation on provider knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Through the use of a specialized suit that simulates physical and sensory challenges associated with disability and aging.
Dr. Arsenault has received several notable awards, including the recipient of the Dr. Hilde Tillman D49 Endowed Professorship in Geriatric
Dentistry, the 2023 Dr. Ron Ettinger Award from the Special Care in Dentistry Association, and Fellowship into the Pierre Fauchard Academy, an international honorary dental service organization. In 2021, she was named a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.
In 2019, her commitment to advocacy led to her nomination as the First District Representative on the Council on Advocacy for
Access and Prevention at the American Dental Association, where she later took on the role of Chair of the Public Health and Prevention Subcommittee. She has been a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon since 1994 and proudly served as the President of the Tufts Dental chapter in 2022. In 2023, she was nominated Secretary of the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Education - American Dental Education Association.
Karin V. Arsenault, D.M.D., M.P.H., D94, Assistant Professor, joined the Department of Public Health and Community Service at Tufts University in 2019 and serves as the Director of the Geriatric. Her involvement spans predoctoral didactic and community service-learning curricula, where she oversees the geriatric dentistry course, seminar, community outreach rotations, and fourth-year competency.
Dr. Arsenault leads the population-based initiative on Oral Health and Aging. This integrated, person-centered program considers
behavioral, social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Her research focuses on successful aging and enhancing access to oral care for vulnerable and underserved adults over 50 in Greater Boston. Key topics she addresses include the implementation of telehealth and teledentistry to minimize barriers to access, the impact of social determinants on oral health, self-perceived
oral health needs, and the use of intra-oral cameras for patient education and case acceptance.
Dr. Arsenault is the Principal Investigator for the NextFifty Initiative and is also engaged with an HRSA grant. Both initiatives share a
common goal of addressing the complex challenges associated with oral health within vulnerable and underserved populations. These efforts are grounded in an integrated, interprofessional, person-centered approach that emphasizes cultural competence, health literacy, and the role of social determinants of health.
In addition, she is the principal investigator for a groundbreaking disability and aging simulation project funded by the Tufts
Springboard grant. This project explores the effects of a disability simulation on provider knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Through the use of a specialized suit that simulates physical and sensory challenges associated with disability and aging.
Dr. Arsenault has received several notable awards, including the recipient of the Dr. Hilde Tillman D49 Endowed Professorship in Geriatric
Dentistry, the 2023 Dr. Ron Ettinger Award from the Special Care in Dentistry Association, and Fellowship into the Pierre Fauchard Academy, an international honorary dental service organization. In 2021, she was named a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.
In 2019, her commitment to advocacy led to her nomination as the First District Representative on the Council on Advocacy for
Access and Prevention at the American Dental Association, where she later took on the role of Chair of the Public Health and Prevention Subcommittee. She has been a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon since 1994 and proudly served as the President of the Tufts Dental chapter in 2022. In 2023, she was nominated Secretary of the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Education - American Dental Education Association.