Dental and primary care professionals learning and collaborating to improve oral health

Abstract

Oral health is a leading public healthcare priority in Healthy People 2030 1 and the Surgeon General's Report. 2 Access to oral health is problematic, especially in rural and underserved areas having dental care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Dental professionals partnering with nurse practitioners (NPs) working in communitybased settings who serve HPSAs could be a solution to obtaining dental care. NPs are well positioned to complete oral health examinations, assess for potential oral and systemic-related risks, provide aspects of preventive oral care, and make appropriate referrals. Enhanced oral health training for non-dental providers can result in positive outcomes when oral exams, risk assessments, patient education, and referrals occur routinely. 3 SOLUTIONDuring the initial development of a Nurse Practitioner Residency (NPR) program, a gap related to oral health TA B L E 1 Competency statement survey.Survey: as a result of the clinical rotation, please rate each competency statement according to agreement level using the following Likert scale: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree 1. Understanding how to perform a comprehensive history and physical exam in this specialty 2. Selecting which appropriate screening and diagnostic test to order in this specialty 3. Distinguishing between clinical situations which require consultation and clinical situations which may be managed without a referral 4. Understanding basic pharmacology and the selection and administration of medications commonly used in the specialty 5. Applying and evaluating the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of common medical conditions seen in this specialty including those most commonly encountered in primary care 6. Understanding and recognizing clinical procedures commonly implemented in this specialty 7. The dental professionals effectively provided coaching regarding integrating knowledge in practice 8. The dental professionals exhibited professional communication skills that facilitated learning 9. The dental professionals modeled compassion and care in professional practice 10. The dental professionals modeled strong clinical reasoning skills 11. The dental professionals facilitated and demonstrated organizational and leadership traits 12. The dental professionals exhibited a positive attitude for coaching 13. The dental professionals were engaged in the clinical experience 14. The clinical environment was conducive to learning 15. The overall learning experience was positive