Extent of Elder Abuse Training in Dental Hygiene Curricula and Program Directors' Perceptions of Importance of and Barriers to Implementation.

Research published in 2002 reported limited elder abuse training in U.S. dental hygiene curricula although its importance has increased with an aging population. The aims of this study were to determine the current extent of elder abuse training in U.S. dental hygiene curricula and to explore dental hygiene program directors' perspectives on the topic. A 25-item online survey was distributed to all 361 program directors, coordinators, and/or department chairs of Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited dental hygiene programs via email in August 2017. A response rate of 27.2% (n=98) was achieved. A large percentage of the respondents (83.3%) included elder abuse training in their program curricula; for most (58.7%), one to three curriculum hours were spent on the topic. A large percentage (89%) agreed the topic was at least somewhat important to include, and 29.5% said a personal or professional elder abuse experience influenced the depth of instruction at their program. Various barriers to inclusion were identified. At least 40% of these educators perceived their graduates to be appropriately competent in their ability to recognize elders' oral neglect (63.5%) and general neglect (48.7%) and to document potential signs of elder abuse (43.8%). Lower percentages perceived that their graduates were competent in the areas of communication regarding elder abuse (21.9%) and reporting suspected abuse (32.4%). Despite rising awareness about elder abuse among dental hygienists and widespread incorporation of the subject in dental hygiene curricula, these results suggest that there are still deficiencies in training. To prepare dental hygiene graduates to confidently recognize and respond to elder abuse, educators should seek to overcome barriers by modifying instruction and embracing interprofessional collaboration.

Comparison of two Manual Toothbrushes in Effectiveness of Plaque Removal: A pilot study.

Purpose: This pilot study compared the effectiveness of plaque removal of two manual toothbrushes; a novel toothbrush design and a control reference toothbrush.Methods: Thirty-eight individuals meeting specific criteria consented to participate and were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects were given both study toothbrushes eight days prior to data collection to use on alternate days for two minutes twice daily for familiarization. Subjects refrained from any oral hygiene procedures for twenty-four hours prior to data collection at which time a baseline plaque score was recorded using the O'Leary Plaque Control Record. Following the baseline plaque score recording, timed brushing was supervised by a research assistant, using a split mouth design, followed by a post-brushing plaque score. All plaque scores were recorded by the same examiner blinded to group assignment. Pre- and post-brushing scores were compared using t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine differences. Subjects also completed a qualitative survey on the two brushes.Results: When compared to overall plaque scores, no significant differences were shown between the two brushes or when compared to all interproximal surfaces, all smooth surfaces and left vs. right sides. Both brushes performed better on the left side. The control brush was slightly more effective than the novel brush in the mandible (p=0.0222) and on lingual (p=0.0169) surfaces. Results of the survey showed that the subjects significantly favored the novel brush.Conclusion: Both brushes were effective, although the reference brush was slightly more effective in plaque removal than the novel design brush in the mandible and on lingual surfaces; however, the novel brush was preferred by participants.