Cynthia C. Gadbury-Amyot

Effectiveness of an Alternative Dental Workforce Model on the Oral Health of Low-Income Children in a School-Based Setting

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the effect of an alternative dental workforce program-Kansass Extended Care Permit (ECP) program--as a function of changes in oral health. METHODS We examined data from the 2008 to 2012 electronic medical records of children (n = 295) in a Midwestern US suburb who participated in a school-based oral health program in which preventive oral health care was delivered by ECP dental hygienists. We examined changes in oral health status as a function of sealants, caries, restorations, and treatment urgency with descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson correlations. RESULTS The number of encounters with the ECP dental hygienist had a statistically significant effect on changes in decay (P = .014), restorations (P = .002), and treatment urgency (P = .038). Based on Pearson correlations, as encounters increased, there was a significant decrease in decay (-0.12), increase in restorations (0.21), and decrease in treatment urgency (-0.15). CONCLUSIONS Increasing numbers of encounters with alternative providers (ECP dental hygienists), such as with school-based oral health programs, can improve the oral health status of low-income children who would not otherwise have received oral health services.

Exploration of the relationship between parent/guardian sociodemographics, intention, and knowledge and the oral health status of their children/wards enrolled in a Central Florida Head Start Program

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify possible relationships between parent/guardian sociodemographics, intention, knowledge, and the oral health status of their child/ward. Intention includes three factors as defined in the Theory of Planned Behavior: attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control, and oral health status was measured by decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) scores. METHODS A convenience sample of parent/guardian with child/ward with age of three to five (n = 181 dyads) enrolled in a Head Start program in the state of Florida participated. A cross-sectional observational study comprised of two components, parent/guardian questionnaire and an oral health status form for recording dmft scores of participating child/ward was employed. RESULTS Parent/guardian race/ethnicity and years of education were significantly related to dmft of child/ward. The highest rates of severe early childhood caries (ECC) were found in child/ward whose parent/guardian is Hispanic and parent/guardian with less than a high school education. Multivariate regression analysis found that increased education level of parent/guardian was significantly associated with lower dmft in this population. No significant relationship was found between parent/guardian self-reported intention (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control), knowledge and dmft scores of the child/ward. CONCLUSION Researchers have called for greater attention to the impact of parental influences in the aetiology of ECC. Results from this study were consistent with current studies where parent/guardian race/ethnicity and educational level served as predictors of oral health status of children. In this study population, parent/guardian intention and knowledge were not shown to significantly impact the oral health status of their child/ward.

Technology is a Critical Game Changer to the Practice of Dental Hygiene

UNLABELLED Dental hygienists will need to embrace 21st century technology to adapt to workplace settings. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To stay relevant in the workforce, dental hygienists need mastery of new skills and technologies. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the vast array of technological advances impacting dental practice and the consequent implications for oral health care providers. CRITICAL ANALYSIS New technologies have provided unparalleled opportunities for degree and career advancement for dental hygienists. Advances in science and technology are providing patients with better quality and more convenient oral health care. Dental hygienists need technological skills that enable them to fully utilize technology as a strategy for consultation with dentists and other health care professionals and for other purposes. Continuing education and life-long learning factor into preparing dental hygienists for 21st century technologies. CONCLUSION With technological advances, less adaptive professionals could potentially see a decrease in demand for their services. Possessing a high level of knowledge of dentistry and dental hygiene does not ensure a position in the workforce. Knowledge of technologies and associated skills are required for quality patient care and career and personal growth.

Process evaluation of a teaching and learning centre at a research university

This paper describes the evaluation of a teaching and learning centre (TLC) five years after its inception at a mid-sized, midwestern state university. The mixed methods process evaluation gathered data from 209 attendees and non-attendees of the TLC from the full-time, benefit-eligible teaching faculty. Focus groups noted feelings of inclusiveness because of the sole concentration on teaching. The survey found that attendees felt more positive about the value and effectiveness of the TLC than non-attendees, and no one on campus expressed negative feelings about its effectiveness. We discuss implications for future evaluation research.

Implementation of Portfolios as a Programmatic Global Assessment Measure in Dental Education

Studies of assessment have shown that three elements-multiple assessments, over time, with multiple evaluators-provide the best strategy for global assessment of student competence in a valid and reliable manner, while experts on competency-based education (CBE) have defined the use of portfolios for assessment as a best practice for CBE. The aim of this article is to describe the five-year experience of one U.S. dental schools implementation of portfolio assessment of student competence as a programmatic global assessment strategy and to share the lessons learned. From approval by the Curriculum Committee to the first graduating classs portfolios, the steps and lessons learned along the way are described, in hopes of providing guidance to other schools interested in adopting portfolios for global assessment. This assessment strategy required the collaboration of a broad range of administrators, faculty, and students, as well as a high degree of faculty and student development. Calibration of the summative evaluators resulted in an interrater reliability estimate of 0.81. An important lesson learned was that development of reflective writing was underestimated, resulting in initial failure of 12 (11%) of the portfolios for the Class of 2017. Dental schools interested in adoption of portfolios should expect to invest time in the preparation of faculty and students. However, the result of this investment will be an assessment measure considered a best practice in both the assessment and competency literature.