scholarly journals A Collaborative Assessment of Barriers to Oral Health Care

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-134
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lyons ◽  
Stuart Schrader ◽  
Erika Galyean ◽  
Laura Romito ◽  
Caroline Everidge ◽  
...  

Oral health disparities are pervasive. Interprofessional education and collaborative practice experiences may be a means to address this problem in oral healthcare settings. This project aimed to determine: (1) barriers involved in patients’ access to oral health care at an academic dental school clinic, (2) dental students’ perceived ability to address patients’ needs and/or care barriers, (3) the ability of current clinical operations’ to address access to care issues, and (4) the potential role of a licensed health care social worker integrated into the clinic. Investigators conducted three focus groups –one student group (n=5), one clinical staff group (n=7), and one clinical faculty group (n=5). Further, investigators administered two needs assessment surveys in the dental school – one with students, staff, and faculty (n=144) and the second with the school’s dental patients (n=150). Investigators employed descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to evaluate the survey data. Five principal barriers to oral health care for dental patients were identified from focus group and survey data, inclusive of patients, students, staff and faculty perspectives: (1) lack of financial means, (2) lack of/inadequate insurance, (3) limited/no transportation, (4) general health problems, and (5) language barriers. More female patients (38.7%) than male patients (8.1%) reported financial barriers to accessing oral care. Including licensed social workers in an academic dental clinic may help address patient barriers to care and support interprofessional collaborative practice.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fouad Salama ◽  
Bader Al-Balkhi ◽  
Faika Abdelmegid

Objectives. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the knowledge and awareness of dental students with respect to oral health care of the person with special health care needs (SHCN) and evaluate effectiveness of an education program on improving their knowledge.Method. An evaluation consisting of a questionnaire was answered before and immediately after a 30-minute educational presentation in the form of a DVD that includes a PowerPoint and a video of oral health care for individuals with SHCN. The questionnaire was based on the materials and information presented in the DVD and included 26 questions (true/false/I do not know).Results. The mean (±SD) score on the pretest was 10.85 (±5.20), which increased to 16.85 (±5.47) on the posttest. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Forty percent of the students surveyed reported that they were very satisfied with the educational part of the presentation, while 50% were somewhat satisfied. Thirty percent of students expressed that the educational intervention used is very effective.Conclusions. Viewing the educational intervention was effective in informing the sophomore students and providing them with instructive basic information on person with SHCN. Dental colleges should increase students’ knowledge, training, and exposure to individuals with SHCN.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiola Adeniyi ◽  
Leeann Donnelly ◽  
Patricia Janssen ◽  
Cecilia Jevitt ◽  
Bahareh Kardeh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Oral diseases are considered a silent epidemic including among pregnant women. Given the prevalence of oral conditions among pregnant women and the reported association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, there have been suggestions for the inclusion of preventive oral care in routine prenatal care. However, due to the different administrative and funding structure for oral health and prenatal care in Canada, progress towards this integration has been slow. Our study sought to qualitatively explore the views of pregnant women in British Columbia (BC) on the strategies for integrating preventive oral health care into prenatal care services.Methods: A qualitative approach was utilized involving semi-structured interviews with fourteen (14) purposefully selected pregnant women in Vancouver and Surrey, BC. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Study validity was ensured via memoing, field-notes, and member checking.Results: Interviews ranged from 28 to 65 minutes producing over 140 pages of transcripts. Analysis resulted in three major themes: oral health experiences during pregnancy, perspectives on integration and integrated prenatal oral care, and strategies for addressing prenatal oral health care. A majority of participants were supportive of integrating preventive oral care in routine prenatal services, with referrals identified as a critical strategy. Oral health education was recognized as important before, during, and after pregnancy; oral health assessments should therefore be included in the prenatal care checklist. Limited funding was acknowledged as a barrier to oral health care access, which may explain why few participants visited their dentists during pregnancy. Interprofessional education surfaced as a bridge to provide prenatal oral health education.Conclusion: Pregnant women interviewed in this study support the inclusion of educational and preventive oral care during prenatal care, although their views differed on how such inclusion can be achieved in BC. They advocated the establishment of a referral system as an acceptable strategy for providing integrated prenatal oral health care.


2012 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 695-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Julie Kim ◽  
Peter C. Damiano ◽  
Jed Hand ◽  
Gerald E. Denehy ◽  
Deborah S. Cobb ◽  
...  

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