Intraprofessional learning: Dentistry and oral health students' readiness and experience.

INTRODUCTION: Intraprofessional learning is a promising approach to enhance teamwork and patient care. This mixed-method study aimed to assess the readiness and experience of dental and oral health students toward intraprofessional learning. METHODS: Dental and oral health students were paired alternatively in a clinician and assistant role in a pediatric clinical setting. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale was adapted for a pre- and post-survey. Focus groups were conducted to elicit the students' shared learning experience. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of dental and oral health students participated in the pre- and post-survey. Pre-test findings revealed similar attitudes toward intraprofessional practice for both groups. However, a statistically significant lower score (p < 0.022) for the oral health students in the post-test suggested a less positive attitude toward their experience. Qualitative results indicated that dental students acquired a better understanding of the clinical scope of oral health students, and they learned clinical skills and behavior management from their counterparts. Conversely, oral health students experienced a hierarchical lack of collegiality and reciprocity from dental students, which may have contributed to their lower post-test score. Despite this, some oral health students gained more confidence in their roles and abilities within the intraprofessional team. Overall, dental students valued this learning experience more and desired more intraprofessional opportunities. CONCLUSION: Both groups of dental and oral health students had similar readiness levels to enter intraprofessional practice, appreciated the intraprofessional experience, and gained an increased appreciation for the collaborative approach to patient care. Intraprofessional learning during training may assist with developing collegiality across the dental professions in practice.

Teaching Cultural Competence in Dental Education: A Systematic Review and Exploration of Implications for Indigenous Populations in Australia.

Indigenous and other minority populations worldwide experience higher rates of disease including poor oral health than other populations. Cultural competence of practitioners is increasingly being recognized as fundamental to health care and quality of life in addressing these disparities. The aims of this study were to conduct a systematic review of the literature about teaching cultural competence in dental education and to explore the particular relevance of that teaching for the oral health care of Indigenous populations in Australia. A systematic review employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was conducted of published studies that explored cultural competency interventions in dental curricula. A total of 258 studies from 2004 to 2015 were identified; after removing duplications and applying criteria for exclusion, 12 were selected for analysis, involving 1,360 participants. The principal themes identified in the qualitative analysis of these studies were curriculum content, curriculum delivery, community service-learning, reflective writing, and evaluation. Students need knowledge of health disparities and community health to better understand the perspectives of culturally diverse populations and to communicate effectively with people from various cultures. The principal strategies that improved cultural competence in the articles examined in this study were educational seminars, community service-learning, and reflective writing. These findings suggest that integration of cultural competency curricula using a combination of didactic or online training, community engagement, and reflective writing may increase the cultural knowledge and skills of dental students.