An innovative integrated model for improving oral health in the Australian context (original) (raw)
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A paradigm shift in models of oral health care: an example and a call to action
The consequences of oral disease are wide-ranging and can have a major impact on an indi-vidual's and that person's family's quality of life. A range of factors interact to determine a person's oral and general health. Such factors can be biological, social, economic, political, cultural, or environmental, in addition to knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Traditional models of oral health care, however, have generally ignored these factors and instead have focused on the treatment and management of existing pathology (tertiary prevention/downstream approach). This has had no effect on the rate of hospitalization or the inequitable distribution of dental diseases. To reduce the prevalence and severity of oral diseases at the individual and population levels, holistic evidence-informed prevention-based health-promoting models of care that focus on upstream determinants of health are required. The Oral Health Program at North Richmond Community Health in the state of Victoria, Australia, has developed an innovative model of oral health care based on the following principles: health promotion, disease prevention, risk-based access to care, client-and family-centered care, team-based provision of care, multidisciplinary care, and innovation. Evaluation of this approach is currently being conducted to study the sustainability of such a model under the current public dental service funding model.
Australian dental journal, 2015
To investigate factors that influence Dental Therapists and Oral Health Therapists (Therapists) plan preventive oral health care for adolescents attending New South Wales (NSW) Public Oral Health Services. A cross-sectional postal survey using two clinical vignettes were used to record the preventive care treatment plans offered by Therapists working across sixteen NSW Local Health Districts (LHDs). Data were tabulated and Chi square statistics were used in the analysis. One hundred and seventeen Therapists returned questionnaires giving a 64.6% response rate. The participants highlighted the importance of offering oral hygiene instruction (97.0%); dietary advice (95.0%) and topical fluoride applications (74.0%). Recommended home use products included fluoride toothpaste 5000ppmF (59.0%) and casein phosphopeptide amorphous phosphates plus fluoride (CPP-ACPF) paste (57.7%). Over 50% used fissure sealants. More respondents (88%) would utilise Motivational Interviewing strategies for a...
Addressing Oral Health Inequities, Access to Care, Knowledge, and Behaviors
Preventing Chronic Disease, 2021
Oral health is essential to overall health (1), and dental public health is a field of public health and a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on improving access to oral health care and understanding the factors that contribute to improving oral health from a population health perspective (2). This collection of articles in Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD), "Oral Health Behaviors and Availability of Dental Services Among Children and Adults," features 8 articles that discuss contemporary dental public health challenges and opportunities. These include inequities in access to dental care, disparities in the prevalence of oral disease, risk behaviors related to oral disease, the relationship between oral health and chronic diseases, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health.
Promoting Oral Health through Education and Prevention Programs
Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 2020
Health education is a key element in health promotion and requires strong planning based on theories of medical behavior. The study was conducted over a period of three years, January 2015 - December 2017, by means of an 11 items questionnaire anonymous applied to dentists or medical staff. Seven questions were multiple choice to allow a broader discussion of the results and the rest were one answer. The time of dental practitioners is limited, so their view of the duration of a possible dental health program is essential. Hours per week volunteered, vary from one doctor to another: from 1-3 hours or less to 3-5 hours or as needed. Assessing the willingness to engage (82%) and the time allocated to the dentists surveyed (44% between 1 and 3 hours per week and 51% over 3 hours per week), we can say that we have human resources for implementing an oral health project. The workforce in the field of oral health would like to be involved in such a program and believes that it could benef...
Building a Culture of Oral Health Care
The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 2017
Poor oral health afflicts many low-income and other vulnerable populations. Poor oral health can lead to unnecessary tooth decay, periodontal disease, plaque buildup, pain, and even the quiet and deadly advancement of oral cancer. It also leads to unnecessary and expensive visits to the emergency department to treat pain of tooth decay and periodontal disease but not the causal conditions. Finding ways to improve oral health in low-income communities is essential to good health and helping individuals move from poverty to middle class status. It requires a collaborative effort of a diverse array of health care workers.
Review of the evidence for oral health promotion effectiveness
Health Education Journal, 2010
Dental caries, periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers have significant burden of disease effects * , quality of life and cost implications for the Australian community. Oral health promotion is a key approach to addressing these conditions endorsed as part of the National Oral Health Plan. Understanding the evidence for effectiveness of oral health promotion is integral to strategic planning for both oral and general health settings. Objective: The objective of this article is to report the key findings of a systematic review of the evidence for oral health promotion commissioned by the Victorian Department of Human Services in 2006. Methods: Evidence was collected and evaluated using a combined approach incorporating the Cochrane Public Health and Health Promotion Field Handbook and the Health Gains Notation in order to a develop a synthesis approach to reporting, framed around the Ottawa Charter. Findings: Findings included evidence supporting the continued fluoridation of water supplies, interventions aimed at early childhood and aged care settings, smoking cessation and capacity building with non-oral health care providers. Emerging evidence supporting multi-strategy community based approaches is also reported along with gaps in the evidence. General Conclusions: The authors conclude that, while there is good support for the incorporation of oral health into general health promotion, it will be important to monitor the outcomes in oral health terms.
American Journal of Public Health, 2015
Objectives. We provided oral health care services at 2 sites using a nurse practitioner–dietitian team to increase dental workforce capacity and improve access to care for low-income preschool children. Methods. Our team provided oral health assessments and education, fluoride varnish application, and dentist referrals. The primary endpoint was participants’ access to oral health care. Secondary endpoints included increasing the practice scope of registered dietitians through training programs for oral health assessment and the application of fluoride varnishes for children. The oral health and hygiene and dietary habits of the participants were also determined. Results. From 2010 to 2013, 4360 children received fluoride varnishes in 7195 total visits. Although the proportion of children with dental caries at the first visit was greater at the urban site, both sites were similar by visits 2 and 3. The number of caries declined with increased program visits, which coincided with an i...