Dental Public Health and Education Commons^™

An Exploration Of Low-Income Dental Services In The Tri-Cities, Macie Proffitt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dental care has great importance in the overall health of every individual. Many do not realize the effect oral health plays in their overall health and many areas in the United States do not have access to the dental care needed to obtain proper healthcare standards. In many of these areas, such as the Appalachian region, dental services for low-income citizens are limited. Specifically, in the Northeast Tennessee region, these dental services are severely limited. Washington County and Hawkins County of Northeast Tennessee are specific underserved areas in the Appalachian region. The purpose of this project was to explore the …

Dental Students' Perceptions Of Dental Hygienists' Education And Scope Of Practice, Cynthia Metzger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oral health is strongly correlated to systemic health in the United States. Dental professionals play a significant role in addressing the oral health and prevention of disease for populations in the United States. Because many areas in the United States lack access to dental care, the federal government considers dental hygienists part of the solution. It is now paying attention to restrictive dental hygiene scope of practice rules in each state. State dental boards, comprised mainly of dentists, make these rules based on their perception of dental hygienists' lack of education. This study explored fourth-year dental students' perceptions of the …

Stress And Anxiety Experience Of Dental Hygiene Students, Kristen Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ETSU dental hygiene program is very competitive and rigorous for those admitted. Student dental hygienists may experience higher levels of anxiety and more stressors while completing their course work and clinical hours than they have previously experienced in general education and prerequisite courses. These increased number of stressors and higher levels of anxiety may have negative impacts on students’ academic performance and success in clinical learning environments. A better understanding of the actual need for a stress reduction and anxiety management curriculum will facilitate creating and implementing this type of curriculum. A total of 44 current ETSU dental hygiene …

Tobacco Cessation Counseling Practices Amongst Dental Hygienists In Central Texas, Lacy Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although tobacco cessation is an uphill battle for almost everyone who attempts to quit, it is important that dental hygienists do not assume that patients are not interested. Dental hygienists are in an ideal position to offer cessation help to their tobacco using patients. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the tobacco cessation practices among central Texas dental hygienists. Specifically, dental hygienists were asked about beliefs, motivation, and confidence with regard to their tobacco cessation practice. A positive significant, moderate, relationship was found between beliefs and confidence (r=0.647), beliefs and practices ( …

Assessing Nurse Practitioners' Knowledge And Clinical Practice With Regard To The Oral-Systemic Link, Angela Haynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) comprise a significant portion of the U.S. primary care workforce and play an essential role in patients' health awareness, prevention strategies, disease management, and in providing appropriate provider referrals. Nurse Practitioners receive education on the oral-systemic connection, yet there have been limited studies on the clinical practice of NPs assessing the oral cavity to evaluate the condition of the teeth and the oral tissues. The purpose of this study was to explore the nurse practitioners’ knowledge and practice habits of assessing the oral cavity for diseases or abnormalities in the mouth that can, in turn, affect overall …

A Survey Of The Implementation And Usage Of Electronic Dental Records And Digital Radiographs In Private Dental Practices In Mississippi, Barbara K. Brent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Implementation of electronic health records by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health has led to the implementation of electronic dental records (EDRs) and digital radiography in dental offices. The purpose of this study was to determine the state of the implementation and usage of EDRs and digital radiographs by the private general and pediatric dental practices in Mississippi as well as reasons why the dental practices are not moving forward with the advanced technology.

A survey was emailed to 712 dental practices: 116 responded (16% response rate), and 104 consented to participate (89.66%). Results indicated dental practices …

Etsu Dental Hygiene Students’ Interest In And Perceived Preparedness For Nontraditional Or Expanded Roles After Graduation, Olivia Rowell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Purpose

This study assessed ETSU dental hygiene students’ perceptions and attitudes toward their careers after graduation in relation to underserved populations’ lack of access to dental care and nontraditional roles for dental hygienists.

Methods

A voluntary simple survey was used to assess the following: dental hygiene students’ exposure to and knowledge about underserved populations and nontraditional roles for dental hygienists, students’ favor or opposition toward these nontraditional roles, students’ interest in nontraditional roles, and students’ perceived preparedness to work outside of a traditional dental office in nontraditional roles to provide care for underserved populations. The survey data was aggregated and …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Child, Family, And Community Factors And Early Childhood Oral Health And The Utilization Of Dental Health Services, Nicole Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background / Objective: Children under the age of 5 years bear a disproportionate burden of oral disease. The aim of this study is to investigate how child, family, and community determinants impact dental care utilization, and parental report of child’s oral health. Methods: Data for this study came from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health for children aged 1 to 5 years old. Dependent variables evaluated were if the child had an oral health problem, been to a dentist in the past year, and parents description of the child’s teeth. Independent variables were selected from child, family, and community …

Dental Disparities And The Safety Net In Blount County, Micaela J. Cornett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This qualitative study focused on the dental disparities in Blount County, TN and sought to determine if there are enough dental clinics within the dental safety net. Interviews were conducted with 18 individuals who were either service providers or clients of organizations such as the Salvation Army, Alcoa Good Samaritan Clinic, the local health department, Trinity Dental Clinic, Volunteer Ministry Center, Remote Area Medical, and Blount Memorial Hospital. Inclusion criteria for clients included: homeless or living below the poverty level, uninsured, 18 to 65 years of age, has not seen a dentist in the past year and currently suffering a …

Mid-Level Dental Care Provider: Awareness And Attitudes Of Ohio’S Dental Hygienists, Cynthia S. Leverich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness and attitudes of dental hygienists in Ohio regarding the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) as an occupation proposed by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and to determine whether the ADHP could be a viable career option for Ohio dental hygienists.

I developed a survey to assess dental hygienists’ awareness, attitudes, and their views regarding the new mid-level dental provider. The study was limited to licensed dental hygienists in Ohio. The study included a simple random sample of 400 of the 4100 dental hygienists in Ohio obtained by a systematic approach, …

Minority College Students’ Attitudes And Beliefs Regarding The Profession Of Dental Hygiene In Comparison To Their Oral Health And Dental Knowledge, Trina J. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes and beliefs of minority college students enrolled at Missouri College in Brentwood, Missouri in reference to the dental hygiene profession. In particular, does their oral health and dental knowledge relate to their knowledge of profession of dental hygiene? One hundred and six students gave their consent to participate in the study via Survey Monkey. The study was conducted in May 2015 for a period of four weeks. Four statements were designed to gauge minority students’ knowledge of dental hygiene as a career. No differences were found based on gender, …

Hand Function Evaluation For Dental Hygiene Students, Sara Taft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dental hygiene students may struggle in dental hygiene curriculum in regards to hand function. Currently, this is not an aspect dental hygiene programs screen for or have protocol in place to help students. The research in the study examined if hand function could improve with hand function exercises and if exercises improved instrumentation scores. During a 6-week pilot study, an occupational therapist tested the hand function of a cohort of dental hygiene students. The results were recorded and the students began a 6-week hand function exercise regimen. After 6 weeks the same evaluations were preformed and the pre- and posttest …

An Evaluation Of The Quality Assurance Plan At East Tennessee State University’S Dental Hygiene Program, Jennifer E. Fielden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quality assurance in healthcare is fundamental in ensuring the achievement of desired outcomes for patients. In 2011 a quality assurance plan was created at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) dental hygiene program in order to meet accreditation standards. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this plan in order to determine its effectiveness in improving the quality of patient care indicators. One hundred fifty patient charts were selected and audited. Deficiencies were counted in the categories of assessment, treatment, documentation, referral, caries management, perio management, patient education, and follow-up. Research findings were varied; however, external variables with the …

Screening The Safety Net, Babette L. Southard Mrs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Safety net clinics across the country struggle with a lack of resources to tackle the needs presented. Screening programs set up for children and elderly have proven to be effective in triaging need, prioritizing care, and maximizing resources. These programs do not currently exist for working uninsured adults. Research was initiated to answer the question: Does the screening process improve patient care for the community clinic? During a 6-week pilot study a licensed dental hygienist performed 30 screenings in the community clinic setting. Findings were recorded and coded according to patient’s level of need identified. Pre- and posttest data for …

Educate Your Patients About Hpv, Constance R. Sharuga, Tabitha Price, Deborah Dotson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), and another 6 million will become newly infected each year.

Determining The Level Of Patient Satisfaction In A Dental Hygiene Setting., Vinodh Bhoopathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Not many studies have been conducted in the past to determine patients' level of satisfaction in academic dental hygiene settings. This patient satisfaction study analyzed the level of patient satisfaction with the dental hygiene clinic at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a statistically significant influence of demographic characteristics of the patients and the affective behavior of the care providers on level of patient satisfaction. It was concluded that except for age, other demographic variables did not have any statistically significant influence on patient satisfaction. Also, care provider's …