The IOH Toolkit begins with two fundamental ideas: 1) Patients benefit when oral health is considered essential to comprehensive health care, and 2) Health outcomes improve when care is delivered collaboratively by an interprofessional team. In recent years, a consensus has formed around this second point, and academic institutions have responded by seeking ways to embed interprofessional education (IPE) within their health professions curricula.

This toolkit is designed to help faculty and administrators at schools and academic health centers advance IPE through the integration of basic oral health competencies into courses and programs across the health professions. This curricular innovation has two aims:

• Contribute to the development of interprofessional collaborative practice competencies in health professions students.
• Prepare the next generation of health professionals to deliver integrated primary care services that include oral health.

Health professions educators who want to advance IPE will find that oral health integration programs offer students from across the health professions an overlooked opportunity to learn about interprofessional collaborative care. The connections between oral and overall health suggest a wide range of opportunities for this kind of collaboration.

• Oral health affects nutrition, speech, and appearance.
• Oral health may also be associated with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and behavioral health.
• Oral health presents opportunities for patient education focused on prevention.
• Oral health care delivery requires the same professional, communication, and cultural competencies that should underlie all health care delivery.
• Oral health concerns disproportionately affect vulnerable and underserved populations, inviting opportunities for IPE that focus on issues of access and equity.

Who should use this toolkit?

This toolkit will be useful for oral health and IPE advocates interested in integrating oral health in other health professions curricula at the course, program, or institutional level.

Faculty champions. If you are an individual or group of individuals looking to start the ball rolling, you’ll find resources here to help you implement classroom-level changes that can link oral health to:

• Related course objectives or curriculum
• Community service-learning programs
• Unfolding case studies or clinical case presentations

Program pioneers. If you are interested in making program-level changes at your institution, this toolkit has what you need. You can choose from a variety of programming options.

• Faculty development workshops
• Simulated learning exercises
• Didactic sessions
• Cooperative education assignments
• Service learning projects

Each of these options stands on its own so you can pick and choose the topics and formats that fit your programming requirements.

System-wide change agents. If you are looking to make institutional-level changes that integrate oral health competencies across health professions programs, this toolkit will be of use to you from the first step to the last. From raising awareness and assessing your institution’s readiness, to training faculty and educating students, chapters will walk you through the process, giving you valuable tools for turning your vision into a reality.

What is oral health integration and why does it matter?

The mouth resides in the body, and the two interact in myriad ways, yet a separation has persisted between professions that provide care for the body and professions that provide care for the mouth. Oral health integration ensures that primary care and dental providers work as a team to deliver integrated care that recognizes both the oral and the systemic needs of their patients.

From an educational perspective, oral health integration refers to the inclusion of oral health competencies in the curricula of other health professions. Why does this matter? Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease in U.S. children and adults even though it is largely preventable. Further, oral health concerns disproportionately affect vulnerable and underserved communities. Equipping all health professionals with basic oral health competencies will reduce oral disease and promote health equity.

Why use the IOH Toolkit?

This toolkit advances IPE through programming and activities that:

• Function independently or as part of a larger program
• Involve students from any combination of health professions programs
• Allow students to learn online or venture into the community
• Educate faculty and build external partnerships

Unlike programs designed for specific professions, settings, or populations, the IOH Toolkit has broad application. Whether you are an individual faculty member who wants to add an oral health dimension to your courses or an administrator seeking ways to embed IPE throughout the health professions curricula, this toolkit has resources you can use. It offers both high-level guidance and detailed step-by-step instructions for all phases of the integration process.

The IOH Toolkit also differs from other oral health toolkits in its flexibility. It includes activities for both entry-level and more advanced students and curricular modules suited to a range of settings and pedagogical approaches.

Chapters in this toolkit are based on the successful implementation of the Innovations in Oral Health (IOH) program at Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, comprehensive lesson plans, and sample forms, worksheets, and assessments to help you create your own plan and put it into action.