Dental Public Health and Education Commons^™

J Mich Dent Assoc February 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It is the primary publication reaching Michigan dentists. The February issue sets the tone for the MDA’s Annual Meeting, Revving Up Dentistry, this April in Detroit.

A detailed Annual Session Preview is included within the Journal with course listings and activities planned for the four-day event. Regular Departments: News You Need, New Dentist Column, MDA Insurance, Dentistry and the Law, Staff Matters, MDA at your Service, Governmental Affairs, and a Michigan Dental …

Visual Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare: A Revolution In Making, Sanjay S. Rao, Punnya. V. Angadi

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

Visual artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that teaches robots to understand images and visual information similarly to how humans do. According to the algorithm's development, visual AI allows robots to do more than just perceive; it also allows them to understand and sense the meaning behind images. Because of the enormous progress made in this area, computers are now able to recognize and interpret images more accurately than humans. From managing medical data to enhancing care delivery through AI-assisted diagnosis, visual AI has a broad impact on healthcare. By building devices and tools that can learn, …

January 15, 2025 — Welcome Letter To Members Of The 119th Congress, American Dental Association

Advocacy in Action letters

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Relationship Between Children's Oral Health Utilization And Parent's Use Of Healthcare Services, Shillpa Naavaal, Rashmi Lamsal

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Introduction: Parents play an influential role in their children's lives, but little is known about how their healthcare experiences connect. This study examined the relationship between parent's healthcare use and their child's overall and preventive dental care use.

Methods: We pooled three years (2017–2019) of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data and merged child (0–17 years) and parent data. Our outcomes included any dental visit, preventive visit, and receipt of sealant or fluoride. The primary exposure variable was the parents’ medical and dental care use, grouped into four categories. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted, and multivariable logistic regression analyses …

Investigating The Association Between Parental Paid Sick Leave Benefit And Children's Dental Care Utilization, Rashmi Lamsal, Shillpa Naavaal

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine the association between paid sick leave (PSL) benefit for employed parents and their child's dental care utilization, including preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services.

Methods: Using pooled data from the 2017–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we created a dyadic observational unit linking children aged 0–17 years with their parents (n = 7652) specifically focusing on the younger children of employed parents. Descriptive statistics and a multivariate logistic regression model were employed to examine the association between parental PSL benefit and child dental care utilization, accounting for various child and …

Oral Health Impact And Cost-Effectiveness Of Resealing First Permanent Molars, Christina Scherrer, Pritam Deb, Jayden Ayash, Shillpa Naavaal

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Introduction: This study examined the cost-effectiveness and health impact of various dental sealant resealing scenarios for first permanent molars from the payer perspective.

Methods: The authors used a discrete event simulation model for 4,000 recently sealed first molars in a hypothetical cohort of 1,000 children aged 7 years over a 10-year time horizon. Scenarios included a base case of no resealing, resealing at first dental visit, and resealing at the age of 12 years.

Results: Without resealing, only 34.88% of teeth retained sealants after 10 years, whereas resealing at the age of 12 years increased this to …

Role Of Oral Health Providers In Supporting Hpv-Related Cancer Prevention In The Dental Setting, Megan Cloidt, Sarah Vivo, Aubree Thelen, Shillpa Naavaal

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent HPV-related illness and associated cancers, including oropharyngeal. The safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination has been well-established, but national HPV vaccination rates remain unacceptably low with persistent disparities for certain populations. While vaccination has been one of the biggest public health accomplishments of the last century, vaccine hesitancy continues to grow in the United States, and remains a challenging element of low HPV vaccine uptake.

Description: Oral health providers have been traditionally siloed and largely uninvolved in vaccination counseling and administration, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought oral health providers, pharmacists and …

Fluoridation Facts, American Dental Association

Fluoridation Facts

Fluoridation Facts is the ADA's premier resource on fluoridation, answering frequently asked questions about community water fluoridation and the latest scientific research. The book assists policy makers and the general public in making informed decisions about fluoridation. With an easy-to-use question-and-answer format that draws on more than 400 references, the book answers queries about fluoridation's effectiveness, safety, practice and cost-effectiveness. 114 pages.

Effectiveness Of School Fluoride Delivery Programs: A Community Guide Systematic Review, Susan O. Griffin, Mei Lin, Christina Scherrer, Shillpa Naavaal, David P. Hopkins, Anita A. Jones, Tammy Alexander, Virginia A. Black, Elizabeth Clark, Lori K. Cofano, Raúl Isidro García, Anna Goddard, Jane Grover, Susan M. Kansagra, Thomas E. Kottke, Elizabeth C. Lense, Tooka Zokaie, The Community Preventive Services Task Force

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Introduction: Although preventable, dental caries remains highly prevalent. Many children do not receive preventive dental services routinely in clinical settings. This review examined the effectiveness of school (preschool through high school) fluoride varnish delivery programs in preventing caries.

Methods: Community Guide systematic review methods were followed. In 2024, databases were searched for studies published through December 2023 on school flouride varnish delivery program effectiveness in increasing fluoride varnish receipt and decreasing caries. Included studies had to be written in English, published in peer-reviewed journals, and conducted in upper-middle– or high-income countries. Data synthesis conducted in 2024 used median …

Improving Dental Hygiene Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Confidence Toward Prenatal Oral Health Through Experiential Learning, Denise C. Mckinney, Sinjini Sikdar, Shillpa Naavaal

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Purpose Maintaining optimal oral health is essential for maternal health as well as the health of their child. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine dental hygiene (DH) students' knowledge of prenatal oral health before and after receiving an asynchronous prenatal oral health care training (POHCT), and their attitudes and self-perceived confidence before and after receiving an experiential learning opportunity with a pregnant and/or post-partum client at a Women's Infants and Children nutrition program (WIC) clinic.

Methods A one-group pre/post-test design was used. This IRB-approved study (#2027439-4) utilized a convenience sample of DH student participants (n=37) in their …

Occupational Exposures To Chemicals In Dentistry: A Scoping Review, Geneviève Picard, Tisha Prakash, France Labrèche, Sabrina Gravel

Revues de littérature, synthèses de connaissances

The dental workforce comprises a variety of professions, most of which are predominantly occupied by women. Dental workers can be exposed to numerous toxic chemicals such as mercury, methacrylate polymers, and silica. This scoping review aims to synthesize the scientific literature on quantified chemical exposures and to identify research gaps in occupational chemical hazards faced by dental professionals. This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute approach and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, using three concepts to search PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science: workers, dental care, and chemicals. Studies from high-income countries, published in French or English between 2000 and 2024 and reporting …

Opportunities For Inter-Cultural Awareness In The Education Of Dental Hygienists, Elizabeth J. Sandell, Lynnette Engeswick

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

Professional standards require that dental hygienists deliver culturally appropriate services and demonstrate respect for patients whose cultural beliefs and values may conflict with normative clinical recommendations. The present study provided a snapshot of undergraduate students in one dental hygiene education program about the students' Intercultural competence (ICC): "the capability to understand and adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonality accurately." Rather than a longitudinal study of a student cohort, investigators sought to understand if program outcomes were congruent with the stated visions and missions of the university, co llege, and department. The participants completed an Informed Consent before taking the …

Approaches To Care For Children With Special Needs In Dental Settings: Desensitization And Teledentistry, Hannah Bergeron D.M.D., M.S., Chia-En Tsai D.D.S., Giovana Anovazzi D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., James R. Boynton D.D.S., M.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Children with special health care needs (SHCN) are at a heightened risk of developing chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or cognitive conditions that significantly affect their oral and general health. These children often encounter significant barriers to receiving adequate dental care, which contributes to neglected oral health needs. Common challenges include increased risk of dental diseases due to medication use, oral hygiene difficulties, and dietary restrictions. Newer strategies aimed at overcoming these barriers include the use of dental social stories, desensitization techniques, and teledentistry.

Social stories offer a structured way for parents to help prepare children for their dental visits. Desensitization …

Assessing Dental Hygienist’S Use Of Anxiety Reducing Practices Toward Patients With Dental Anxiety, Sara C. Steiger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess dental hygienists' practices regarding anxiety-reducing techniques, their attitudes towards managing patients with dental anxiety, and the extent of their training on the topic. To collect data, an adaptation of the existing survey from the UNC Department of Dental Ecology Survey, was distributed to licensed dental hygienists. The findings of the research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages. The results of this study indicate a substantial need for enhanced educational resources to better equip dental hygienists in managing patients with dental anxiety. Most participants do not …

Racial Diversity Matters: Experiences Of Dental Hygienists Of Color In Education And Practice, Sonika Masih

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Oral health is important to overall health. Poor oral health can affect a person’s ability to smile and chew, and can negatively affect their self-esteem. Poor oral health can lead to systemic diseases and even death. Therefore, access to dental care is vital for maintaining a quality of life, but people of color often lack access to this essential care. Negative stereotyping, color blind attitudes, and providers' biases are barriers for people of color to access dental care. Dental hygienists play a crucial role in removing barriers to oral healthcare for underserved populations. However, the dental hygiene profession does not …

Improving Dental Hygiene Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Confidence Toward Prenatal Oral Health Through Experiential Learning, Denise C. Mckinney, Sinjini Sikdar, Shillpa Naavaal

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose Maintaining optimal oral health is essential for maternal health as well as the health of their child. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine dental hygiene (DH) students' knowledge of prenatal oral health before and after receiving an asynchronous prenatal oral health care training (POHCT), and their attitudes and self-perceived confidence before and after receiving an experiential learning opportunity with a pregnant and/or post-partum client at a Women's Infants and Children nutrition program (WIC) clinic.

Methods A one-group pre/post-test design was used. This IRB-approved study (#2027439-4) utilized a convenience sample of DH student participants (n=37) in their …

The Use Of Motivational Interviewing In Preventing Dental Caries Among Young Children, Denise C. Mckinney, Melissa L. Sullivan, Futun Alkhalifah

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Dental caries is a complex, preventable disease that remains a global health burden. The burden of this disease has been shown to impact young children before the age of 6 years. Discussing dental caries prevention with the mother/caregiver(s) prior to childbirth is an ideal time to influence positive oral health behaviors. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a person-centered, goal-oriented, collaborative communication style that has been used to help individuals modify behaviors. The interrelated principles of partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation underpin the MI approach while utilizing communication skills such as asking open-ended questions, affirmation, reflective listening, and summarizing (OARS) to engage …

Prevalence Of Sexuality Implicit Bias In Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Students, Monica Drew, Emily Ludwig, Jessica Suedbeck, Adaira Howell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose Bias and discrimination may create barriers and affect the delivery of culturally competent care to sexual minorities. An awareness of biases early in education may promote more equitable oral health care delivery to diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexuality-implicit attitudes in entry-level dental hygiene students at one university.

Methods This cross-sectional survey study included a convenience sample of dental hygiene students from one university (n=74). The Implicit Associations Test (IAT), a validated tool for measuring implicit bias, was modified for use in dentistry with permission from Project Implicit(®) The IAT requires …

Use Of Clinical Competency Examinations For Dental Hygiene Licensure, Jocelyn D. Weinhagen, Tara L. Newcomb, Brenda T. Bradshaw

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Dental hygiene licensure with a clinical competency examination (CCE) using a live patient has been required by state licensing boards since 1929. Clinical competency examinations were initially used when dental training was poorly developed, non-standardized, and largely based on the apprenticeship model. Currently, Canada and the state of California have removed the requirement of passing a CCE for dental hygiene licensure, provided certain requirements have been met. Dentistry is the last health care profession to mandate that graduates pass a CCE. The vast majority of dental licensing boards continue to require that third party testing agencies validate the clinical skills …

How Can We Go Far Together In Healthcare Education And Training?, Nader Nadershahi

Journal of the American College of Dentists

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This African proverb highlights the importance of collaboration and cooperation to achieve long-term success and impact. This sentiment applies to many aspects of life, and it certainly applies to our reflection on the importance of breaking down the silos that have developed in healthcare. Our healthcare system has been siloed in all aspects, including delivery models, payment systems, education, and training.