Oral health in primary care: Integration of enhanced oral health education in a nurse practitioner residency program.

ABSTRACT: Access to oral health care is challenging, especially for vulnerable populations and those in rural and underserved areas. The purpose of this brief report is to discuss the implementation strategies of enhanced content in oral health educational materials and share results of acquisition of knowledge and confidence in oral health content by residents in a nurse practitioner residency program. The method included the use of 3 surveys of 34 questions administered at different time points measuring confidence levels and sustainability. Results showed the average level of confidence obtained in Posttest1 and in Posttest 2 after 6 months is greater than the pretest. The paired-sample t-test provides significant evidence of improving mean responses for Questions 10, 11, 16, and 32 in Posttest 1 (p-values: .04 each) and Questions 10, 17, 25, and 31 in Posttest2 (p-values: .04 each) compared with the pretest. In conclusion, the addition of enhanced oral health educational materials in our program resulted in improved knowledge and confidence in the residents to incorporate oral health care in their practices.

Collaboration of Dental Hygiene and Nursing Students on Hospital Units: An Interprofessional Education Experience.

The aims of this study were to implement and evaluate an innovative collaborative event with hospitalized patients to help develop dental hygiene and nursing students' interprofessional competence. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) was used to assess the students' perceptions of interprofessional skill acquisition. Participants were 24 dental hygiene and 25 nursing students at the University of Southern Indiana in spring 2016. The results showed that all students had statistically significant improvement on the ICCAS items from pretest to posttest. There were no significant differences in improvement between the two groups on any single posttest item as the impact of the responses was similar. These results suggest that incorporating collaborative experiences in hospital settings can be an effective means to develop students' skills in interprofessional competence.

Periodontal disease in children with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Collaborative efforts between health team members can advance early detection of children with elevated blood glucose levels, preventing hyperglycemia and periodontal diseases. Rates of obesity are increasing in children, impacting the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases. Collaborative care between nurse practitioners and dental hygienists can detect, prevent, and treat periodontal disease in children.

Retail promotions and perceptions of R.J. Reynolds' novel dissolvable tobacco in a US test market.

BACKGROUND: With declining cigarette sales, tobacco manufacturers have been developing and marketing new smokeless products, such as R. J. Reynolds' dissolvable tobacco, Camel Sticks, Strips and Orbs. This study assessed the availability, price and point-of-purchase promotional strategies for Camel Dissolvables, and investigated consumer awareness, interest and perception of these products in the Indiana test market. METHODS: An exploratory retail audit of point-of-purchase promotions was conducted in a random sample of retailers from 6 store categories (n = 81) in the test market area. Data included: store type, location, product placement, forms/flavors carried, price, types and locations of advertisements and promotions, and ad messages. An Awareness-Attitude-Usage (AAU) survey was used to gauge consumer awareness and knowledge of tobacco products including Camel Dissolvables. Respondents were shown promotional materials from a package onsert and perceptions and interest in the Camel Dissolvables were assessed. An Intended Target Survey (ITS) compared subjects' perceptions of ad targets for several non-tobacco products, as well as Camel Snus, Camel No. 9 and Camel Dissolvables. Respondents were asked to identify each ad's intended target category, perceived targetedness, and purchase intent. RESULTS: The products were carried by 46% of stores, most frequently gas stations (100%) and convenience stores (75%). They were shelved near smokeless tobacco (70%), cigarettes (25%) or candy (5%). Prices ranged from $3.59 -$4.19 per package; most stores carried at least 1 promotional item. Ad messages included: "Dissolvable Tobacco" (60%). "Free Trial" (24%), "Special Price" (24%), "What's Your Style?" (22%). At 14% of stores, free trial packs of Camel Dissolvables were offered with another Camel purchase. Awareness was reported by 42% of respondents (n = 243), and trial by 3%. Consumer interest was very low, but younger respondents (< 40 years) were more familiar with Camel Dissolvables (60% vs. 45% for those > 40 years, p < .01). Males, as well as current and former smokers had higher rates of interest and trial; only 1% of never smokers reported trial. In the ITS, only for the 3 tobacco product ads, was perceived targetedness for smokers significantly higher than for non-smokers. Smokers and nonsmokers perceived that the ads targeted smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Current retail promotional strategies for Camel Sticks, Strips & Orbs appear to be targeting a select audience, primarily current smokers. Overall, consumer awareness, interest and trial were low.

Introduction of health literacy into the allied dental curriculum: first steps and plans for the future.

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The NAAL reported that over 90 million adults were functionally or marginally illiterate. When these individuals encounter the health care system, they often have difficulties with reading and understanding basic text and, as a result, have difficulty managing their disease or using medications. The purpose of this article is to describe our initial efforts to educate our students concerning health literacy, its consequences, and our assessment. As part of a new segment of the allied health curriculum, second-year dental hygiene students received a lecture concerning the prevalence of poor literacy in America and the possible consequences of poor literacy on their patients' ability to maintain oral health. To provide clinical experience with assessing health literacy, the students were instructed in the administration of a validated medical health literacy tool. This clinical exercise had two functions: 1) to familiarize students with assessing health literacy as part of their clinical experience and 2) to continue to gather preliminary data concerning the level of health literacy of adult patients at Indiana University School of Dentistry using a standardized methodology, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA). The results indicated that 13 percent of those assessed had "inadequate" or "marginal" literacy as measured by the S-TOFHLA. As a result, we plan to continue to expand our educational efforts and develop a larger investigation of the prevalence in our dental school population. With these data, we hope to develop effective educational programs and experiences for our students, faculty, and staff to improve their awareness and communication skills and ultimately improve the oral health of our patients.

Evolution of a tobacco cessation curriculum for dental hygiene students at Indiana University School of Dentistry.

Barriers to consistent implementation of tobacco cessation strategies by dental hygiene students in practice may be overcome through mentoring by expert faculty members. This article describes a pilot study using an innovative method to achieve higher levels of student-perceived confidence and skill in delivering cessation messages to patients. Following completion of the didactic course content, each student selected a tobacco user to complete the Indiana University Nicotine Dependence Program Patient Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Detailed analysis of the questionnaire and development of specific cessation strategies were accomplished in a one-to-one interchange with expert faculty members. Students provided suggestions to patients, wrote papers summarizing their experiences, and were asked to complete an anonymous survey. Forty-four of forty-six students completed the survey. Eighty percent reported the mentored session was useful in learning specific cessation strategies; 83 percent reported the session helped to boost their confidence levels in approaching patients in tobacco cessation; 83 percent believed they would use learned strategies with other patients; and 86 percent recommended this educational approach for future students. Additional mentoring may overcome barriers to approaching patients in tobacco cessation by increasing levels of confidence and skill when delivering cessation messages. This may translate into continued application of these strategies in private practice, resulting in potential benefits to the health of the public.

Sampling water from chemically cleaned dental units with detachable power scalers.

UNLABELLED: Power toothbrushes (PTBs), in combination with abrasive dentifrices, may encourage wear of dental cements at crown margins. PURPOSE: This study's purpose was to determine the effect chemical cleaning had on the microbial quality of water emitted from dental unit waterlines (DUWL), 3-way syringes, and power scalers. METHODS: Ten randomly selected dental units with attached self-contained independent water reservoirs filled with deionized water were used. An ultrasonic scaler was paired with each of the ten units. This combination was retained for the duration of the study. Water samples were collected at the beginning of the fall semester and again after two weeks. Analysis indicated unacceptable levels of microorganisms and the need for a shock treatment, which included cleanings on 3 consecutive days. Water samples were collected following the initial shock treatment and for the following 4 weeks. Weekly cleanings were performed as part of routine equipment maintenance. Water specimens from the 3-way syringes and scaler handpieces were spiral plated on R2A agar plates. Incubation was at room temperature for 7 days. Plates were examined and the number of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) was determined for each specimen. RESULTS: The first sampling showed that none of the 3-way syringes and one of the power scalers produced potable water after sitting unused for 6 weeks and receiving only one chemical cleaning. Improvement was noted after the second cleaning with specimens from 8 units having bacterial levels <500 CFU/mL. Three power scalers emitted potable water. Improvements in the bacterial levels of the power scalers were noted following the shock treatment; all of the power scalers emitted potable water. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners should routinely treat dental units and power scalers with products that will maintain acceptable microbial water quality. Administration of a shock treatment may be necessary prior to beginning a weekly maintenance protocol. Shock treatments are beneficial if units or power scalers have not been used for an extended period of time.