Devon Cooper|Jung-Soo Kim|Karen Duderstadt|Ray E. Stewart|Brent Lin|Abbey Alkon
Interprofessional Oral Health Education Improves Knowledge, Confidence, and Practice for Pediatric Healthcare Providers
dental caries prevalent chronic childhood disease united states dental caries affects health 6090 schoolaged children worldwide prevalence untreated early childhood dental caries 19 children 25 years age us factors contribute progression dental caries include socioeconomic status access dental care lack anticipatory guidance prevalence dental caries remains highest children specific ethnic racial groups especially living underserved areas may limited access dentist although researchers acknowledged various links oral health overall systemic health oral health care usually component pediatric primary health care address public health crisis oral health disparity children new collaborative efforts among health professionals critical dental disease prevention optimal oral health evaluation study focused 10week interprofessional practice education ipe course childrens oral health involving dental osteopathic medical nurse practitioner students university california san francisco studys objective evaluate changes knowledge confidence attitude clinical practice childrens oral health students completed course thirtyone students participated ipe completed demographic questionnaires four questionnaires ipe course 1 course content knowledge 2 confidence 3 attitudes 4 clinical practice results showed statistically significant improvement overall knowledge childrens oral health topics confidence ability provide oral health services clinical practice statistically significant difference attitude upward trend toward positivity conclude ipe evaluation showed offering interprofessional course childrens oral health graduate students dentistry nursing osteopathic medicine improve knowledge confidence practice toward childrens oral health expand professional goals include caring underserved minority children