Patients' views on dentists' ability to manage medical crises – results of focus group research

Background: Australia faces an ageing population which is more medically complicated than in years past, and it is important that we meet public expectations of management of medical emergencies in the dental clinic. No research before has examined in depth the public perception of dentists’ medical emergency management. Aim: To qualitatively assess the publics' perception of medical emergencies in dentistry and their expectations of medical emergency management by dentists. Methods: 12 members of the public associated with a university clinic participated in two focus groups of six persons, where semi-structured discussions were carried out, audio recorded and transcribed, and subsequently underwent comprehensive thematic analysis. Results: Key findings included a high expectation of dentists' general medical knowledge, as well as potential concern regarding a lack of routine medical assessment prior to undertaking dental treatment. Conclusions: Participants expected dentists to be highly proficient at managing medical crises and support the concept of medical emergency management certification for dentists

A Review of the Global Literature on Dental Therapists

OBJECTIVE: Access to adequate oral health care is deficient in many parts of the world. Many countries are now using dental therapists to increase access, particularly for children. To inform the discussion on dental therapists in the workforce, particularly in the United States, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded a review of the global literature to identify as many documents as possible related to the practice of dental therapists since the establishment of the School Dental Service in New Zealand in 1921. METHODS: Consultants in each of the countries considered to have a substantive literature on dental therapists were asked to participate in the research; seventeen in total. In addition to identifying and reviewing published articles, a focus of the research was on identifying \u27gray\u27 documents. Standard databases were searched for key words associated with dental therapists. In addition, searches were conducted of the governmental and dental association websites of all countries known to have dental therapists in their oral health workforce. RESULTS: Fifty-four countries, both developing and developed, were identified where dental therapists are members of the workforce. Eleven hundred documents were identified from 26 of these countries, with over 2/3 of them cited in the published monograph. Reliable evidence from the related literature and verbal communication confirmed the utilization of dental therapists in an additional 28 countries. Thirty-three of the countries were members of the Commonwealth of Nations, suggesting a mechanism of spread from New Zealand. Variable lengths of training/education existed for dental therapists with the tradition being 2 years postsecondary. In a few countries, the training of therapists and hygienists is now being combined in a three academic year program. Historically, dental therapists have been employed by government agencies caring for children, typically in school-based programs. Initiatives in some countries allow limited care for adults by dental therapists with additional training. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence indicates that dental therapists provide effective, quality, and safe care for children in an economical manner and are generally accepted both by the public and where their use is established, by the dental profession

Shared learning for oral health therapy and dental students: enhanced understanding of roles and responsibilities through interprofessional education

Introduction To enhance interprofessional learning outcomes, The School of Dentistry at The University of Queensland redesigned first-year curricula. Courses for Bachelor of Oral Health (OHT) and Bachelor of Dental Science (DS) students were combined, and learning content created to support the development of skills, knowledge and attitudes required for the oral healthcare team to work effectively in providing the best possible care for patients. Methods Over a 2-year period, all commencing OHT and DS students were invited to participate in this study. One cohort (n similar to=similar to 93) was enrolled into a traditional, discipline-specific programme (TRAD), whereas the other cohort (n similar to=similar to 93) experienced an integrated learning programme (INT) with combined courses for OHT and DS students. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and a modified dental and dental care professional roles and responsibilities (DRR) survey were completed to determine students' awareness of dental professionals' roles and responsibilities, and their attitudes to interprofessional education and teamwork. Results Following completion of 1 similar to year of learning, both INT and TRAD cohorts showed similar levels of readiness for shared learning. At the commencement of the second year of the study programme, however, there was a significantly better understanding of shared care amongst INT students. Conclusions This study provides initial support for the integrated learning approach adopted by this university. The INT cohort had significantly improved understandings of the roles and responsibilities of dentists and oral health therapists. The results of this study have been used to refine ongoing curriculum developments

A review of the global literature on dental therapists

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