Perceived stress and well-being in UK and Australian dental hygiene and dental therapy students.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore United Kingdom (UK) and Australian (Aus) dental hygiene and dental therapy students' (DHDTS) perception of stress and well-being during their undergraduate education. Upon qualification, DHDTS in the UK register as dental therapists (DT), and in Australia, they register as Oral Health Therapists (OHT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to years 1, 2 and 3 DHDTS at the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy (UPDA) in the UK and La Trobe Rural Health School in Australia. The questionnaire consisted of 5 well-used measurement instruments which included the following: Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES); Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21); Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB); Valuing Questionnaire (VQ); and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) to collect data on students' perception of levels of stress and well-being. RESULTS: A response rate of 58% (UK) and 55% (Australia) was achieved. Clinical factors and academic work were perceived as stressful for DHDTS in both the UK and Australia. The Australian DHDTS-perceived stress in the educational environment was significantly higher (P < .002) than the UK DHDTS. The majority of respondents reported levels of depression, anxiety and stress to be within the normal-to-moderate range. All students reported high levels of positive well-being, with no significant differences between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: DHDTS in the UK and Australia identified sources of stress within their undergraduate education, but also perceived themselves as positively functioning individuals.

Case study: caries in young children.

This article describes the aetiology and specific diagnoses of two different children that presented to the dental surgery with a form of dental caries. The management of both cases is being discussed as well as the differences in the prevention of early childhood caries.

Training rural women to improve access to oral health awareness programmes in remote villages in Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: Description of experiences and results of training rural women in Nepal to recognize basic oral health problems and to perform basic oral health promotion activities. METHODS: Rural women from different districts of Nepal were trained in a 1-day course in oral health promotion as part of a 4-month vocational skills programme targeted at them. Their knowledge about preventive oral care, their recognition of basic oral health problems and their ability to perform basic oral health education were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively before and after the course. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2009, 141 women from 30 mostly rural districts were trained. Following the educational intervention, an overall trend towards improvement of their oral health awareness and their knowledge was documented. They proved to be competent in oral health promotion activities, in demonstrating oral hygiene techniques and in recognizing basic oral health problems. They were able to organize oral health awareness programmes in their villages and acted as advocates for the benefits of fluoridated toothpaste. After 3 years, they educated 2100 other community members, with at least 4000 children participating in their oral health awareness programmes. CONCLUSION: A community-oriented educational intervention programme for rural women in basic oral health promotion activities could be a successful culturally sensitive means to support access to oral health awareness programmes for Nepalese people in remote areas.

Dental hygiene education in Nepal.

AIM: This article provides information about the history, recent curriculum changes and the legal status of the dental hygiene education in Nepal. It also intends to show, how, even in a poor developing nation, the personal drive of a native Nepalese citizen with a vision and the proper connections can lead to the establishment of a new profession, until then unknown. METHOD: Data were obtained from the founder of the first dental hygiene school in Nepal through qualitative interviews, and through personal visits to two Nepalese dental hygiene schools in Kathmandu and in Pokhara. Since 2006, the first author serves as curricular advisor, allowing him access and input to drafts of the development of current curricular changes. RESULTS: In 2000, the first dental hygiene course started in Kathmandu. Since then, dental hygiene education has been going through different stages of development and professionalization. In 2005, the programme was changed to 3 years in length in order for students to obtain an academic Certificate in Dental Hygiene. In 2006, the Nepalese Dental Hygienists Association was founded, resulting in greater recognition of the profession, especially by the powerful Nepalese Dental Association. Obscure rules and legislation results in eclectic specifications governing dental hygiene practice. Future challenges for the schools and the dental hygienists association are issues of quality insurance and scope of practice suitable for a developing country. Currently, Nepal is the only country worldwide with an almost equal gender distribution in the dental hygiene profession.

Buddhi Bangara Project on oral health promotion: a 3- to 5-year collaborative programme combining support, education and research in Nepal.

OBJECTIVE: The overall purpose of the Buddhi Bangara Project (BBP) is to investigate if oral health promotion (OHP) will be a realistic way to improve the oral hygiene and dental awareness of Nepalese schoolchildren aged 5-12 years. This study is the first aspect of the overall project. Dental hygiene students from Kantipur School of Dentistry, Kathmandu and the Dental Hygiene Programme at the INHOLLAND University in Amsterdam were actively involved in this assessment phase as well as the implementation phase which included oral health education activities. This descriptive study is the first phase of a larger longitudinal study directed towards improving the oral health of children in Nepal. METHODS: The first phase involves the assessment of children in several schools, one of which acts as a control group. It is directed toward the baseline data collected prior to the implementation of the OHP initiatives. Qualitative data on knowledge about oral health was collected through observations and a questionnaire. The World Health Organization community index of treatment needs was used to assess the clinical status of the participants. RESULTS: The data show that knowledge about preventing oral diseases is high, but awareness about the benefits of fluoride is low. It also suggests that the oral health of the examined children is affecting their quality of life in several different ways. The social status of participants appears to influence their dietary intake as well as their choice of professionals to visit when experiencing pain. CONCLUSION: It appears that children in Nepal have oral health problems and oral health does appear to influence their quality of life. The impact of the OHP activities have yet to be determined.

Theoretical and practical considerations for the development of online international collaborative learning for dental hygiene students.

Globalization and concurrent development in computer and communication technology has increased interest in collaborative online teaching and learning for students in higher education institutions. Many institutions and teachers have introduced computer-supported programmes in areas including dental hygiene. The potential for the use of this technology is exciting; however, its introduction should be careful and considered. We suggest that educators wanting to introduce computer-supported programmes make explicit their pedagogical principles and then select technologies that support and exploit these principles. This paper describes this process as it was applied to the development of an international web-based collaborative learning programme for dental hygiene students.

Dental hygienists on top of the world: supporting oral health education in Nepal.

This article describes the oral health situation in Nepal. Based on research and strategic planning reports from the WHO and the Ministry of Health in Nepal the value of Oral Health Promotion in Nepal is being promoted. The implications of possible dental treatment and/or oral health promotions are being discussed. A plan for support of improvement of the oral health in Nepal is presented. The main focus is the support of the development of the dental hygiene education and profession in Nepal. Another focus of attention is the ability of dental hygienists in Nepal to develop them individually and to create independent professionalization. This article forms the basis for developing a 5-year collaborative programme with Kantipur School of Dentistry and the Dental Hygiene Education, Amsterdam. It can be a means to inspire dental hygienists around the world to put efforts into improving oral health in developing countries.