Reprinted from Vital Signs – Fall 2014
Bouvé College of Health Sciences is forging innovations in interprofessional education to improve oral health, and encourages all primary care clinicians to take an active role in oral health screening, prevention interventions, and referral of patients requiring dental treatment.
On May 27th, faculty and students from Bouvé College of Health Sciences participated in an interprofessional community service-learning program to improve oral health in Boston. Maria Dolce PhD, RN, CNE, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, and Trent Honda, PA-C, Academic Coordinator, Physician Assistant Studies, along with Kathy M. Lituri, RDH, MPH, Oral Health Promotion Director at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Office of Global and Population Health, collaborated with the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) on the development of a community-based oral health outreach project for the 2014 AAPA Conference.
Since 2011, oral health community outreach has been a featured program at the annual AAPA conferences. This year’s program was specially designed to promote medical-dental collaboration for improving oral health across the lifespan. Faculty and students from Bouvé College of Health Sciences collaborated with AAPA members and Boston community partners in this oral health outreach to three community-based centers, including Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, Susan Bailis Assisted Living, and Cambridge Senior Center. Over 20 Nursing, Pharmacy and PA students and faculty teamed together to provide oral health information and education, including proper brushing, flossing, denture care, and the effects of medications on the oral cavity to approximately 100 patients. Toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed at each community site.
At the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, a patient-centered medical home, students observed dentists performing oral examinations and screening for decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Dentists provided students with a general overview on how to review dental radiographs, and highlighted the importance of medical-dental collaboration to improve oral health outcomes. This program provided PA students from across the United States with an interprofessional experience to learn about, from, and with Bouvé College nursing, pharmacy and PA students to improve oral health in Boston. This program exemplified Bouvé College’s multi-organizational, partnership approach to improving oral health for all, and was made possible through generous support from the DentaQuest Foundation.
The DentaQuest Foundation is committed to optimal oral health for all Americans through its support of prevention and access to affordable care, and through its partnerships with funders, policymakers and community leaders. For more information, please visit dentaquestfoundation.org.
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