The identification of agreed criteria for referral following the dental inspection of children in the school setting.
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AIM: To clarify the function of the school based dental inspection. OBJECTIVE: For representatives of the Community Dental Service, General Dental Service and Hospital Dental Service to identify an agreed set of criteria for the referral of children following school dental inspection. DESIGN: Qualitative research methodology used to establish a consensus for the inclusion of referral criteria following dental screening. SETTING: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. MATERIALS: A Delphi technique was used to establish a consensus amongst the study participants on the inclusion of nine possible criteria for referral following dental screening. All participants scored each criterion in the range 1-9, with a score of 1 indicating that referral of individuals with the condition should definitely not take place, and a score of 9 indicating referral should definitely take place. Referral criteria were accepted only if they achieved a group median score of 7 or more, with an interquartile range of three scale points, with the lower value being no less than 7. RESULTS: Four of the nine possible criteria met the agreed group standard for inclusion: 'Sepsis', 'Caries in the secondary dentition', 'Overjet > 10 mm', and 'Registered & caries in the permanent dentition'. CONCLUSION: It is possible to agree clear criteria for the referral of children following the school dental inspection. (+info)
An audit of general dental practitioners' referral practice following the distribution of third molar guidelines.
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Oral and maxillofacial surgery waiting lists are amongst the longest of any surgical specialty. The majority of patients on these waiting lists have been referred for removal of their third molars (wisdom teeth). With increasing pressure to reduce the size of both out-patient and surgical waiting lists, it is important to ensure that only those patients with a recognised clinical need are referred and accepted for treatment. In April 1998, local general dental practitioners were issued guidelines for the management of patients with impacted third molars. This paper describes an audit that assessed the impact of this intervention. The results suggest that referral guidelines are an effective means of changing general dental practitioners' referral practice and that, used along with other strategies, could be effective in reducing oral and maxillofacial surgery out-patient and surgical waiting lists. (+info)
A joint approach to treating dental phobics between community dental services and specialist psychotherapy services--a single case report.
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A 41-year-old male patient presented at the local dental hospital requesting treatment under IV sedation, a treatment that he had had for the past 25 years. The patient was referred to the specialist psychotherapy services for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and received a 1 hour course of therapy. He was then introduced to dental services, and at this visit had a check-up, OPG, and treatment planning discussion. At a subsequent visit he had local anaesthetic, three fillings, and a scale and polish. The patient is now able to return to general dental practice, after only a brief therapeutic intervention, and subsequent dental treatment. The present and future cost saving to the NHS is substantial compared with the treatment method initially sought by the patient. (+info)
A clinical minimum data set for primary dental care.
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OBJECTIVE: To achieve consensus within primary dental care on the contents of a clinical minimum data set to measure oral health status. DESIGN: Using the Delphi process a simple random sample of 30 LDCs and 10 CDS services in England were asked to rank a list of existing clinical indicators in order of their perceived importance as a means of measuring oral health. A nominated panel representing the stakeholder organisations of primary dental care reviewed this ranking and identified a core group of clinical indicators to be included in a clinical minimum data set. RESULTS: An 80 percent response rate to the Delphi process was achieved. Consensus was reached on a core group of 10 indicators, which can provide information on patient's perceptions of pain, function and appearance, and professional measurements of caries, teeth present, periodontal disease, oral sepsis, presence of mucosal pathology and tooth wear. CONCLUSIONS: A representative sample of primary care dentists in England and the key representative organisations of primary dental care achieved consensus on the contents of a clinical minimum data set to record oral health status in primary dental care. This is a first step in standardising the measurement of oral health status across primary care. (+info)
Bringing the mountain to Mohammed: a mobile dental team serves a community-based program for people with HIV/AIDS.
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In spite of the direct referral system and family-centered model of primary oral health care linking medical and dental care providers, most HIV-positive patients at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center received only emergency and episodic dental care between 1993 and 1998. To improve access to dental care for HIV/AIDS patients, a mobile program, called WE CARE, was developed and colocated in community-based organizations serving HIV-infected people. WE CARE provided preventive, early intervention, and comprehensive oral health services to minorities, low-income women and children, homeless youths, gays and lesbians, transgender individuals, and victims of past abuse. More efforts to colocate dental services with HIV/AIDS care at community-based organizations are urgently needed. (+info)
University of Kentucky community-based field experience: program description.
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Community-based field experiences (CBFE) provide students with exemplary experiential learning opportunities. The purposes of this paper are to describe the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) CBFE and report the results of a two-year, self-report survey that assessed the primary course goal, students' perceptions of change in knowledge and skills related to nineteen areas of patient care (n = 90, 100% return rate), and their overall rating of the program. Knowledge and skill data were analyzed using the non-parametric binomial test for comparing proportions. A significant (.05 level) majority of students reported increases in knowledge in all areas to which they were exposed. Descriptive frequencies summarizing the results of the total CBFE experience indicate that the majority of students felt it was a positive experience. The CBFE continues to be a meaningful element in the UKCD curriculum as it provides students with a relevant, authentic educational experience. (+info)
Creating a school without walls and building a learning organization: a case study.
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Abstract: This article describes the genesis of a "school without walls" philosophy and the implementation of learning organization principles at Boston University School of Dental Medicine (BUSDM). In Peter Senge's five-discipline approach to organizational learning, a learning organization is defined as "an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future." It is an organization that changes and innovates based on continuous learning, which in BUSDM's case constituted learning from industry trends, patients, students, staff, faculty, and other key stakeholders. Most important, such organizations successfully translate that learning into effective action. It is this capacity to innovate and create change that is critical to competitive advantage and success in a changing environment. This case study of organizational change provides a discussion of the conceptual framework guiding the design and implementation of the learning organization and the chronology of transformation that occurred in three phases over a period of twenty years. We also describe the lessons we learned and the lessons that are still emerging. (+info)
U.S. and Canadian dental school involvement in extramural programming.
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This project was undertaken from July 1999 to August 2000 to identify the status of extramural programming (that is, a program that has undergraduate dental students providing any aspect of dental care to individuals in settings outside the main clinical facility of the school) in North American dental schools. A survey instrument was mailed to all United States and Canadian dental schools concerning student involvement in extramural programming. The response rate was 79.7 percent. Of the schools responding, 3.9 percent did not offer extramural programming. The type of extramural sites, the percentage of schools offering each type of site, and the mean number of weeks students are at each site were as follows: hospital clinics--71 percent, 2.5 weeks; public health clinics--65 percent, 6 weeks; schools and day care centers--49, 1.7 weeks; private dental offices--37 percent, 2 weeks; and "other"--29 percent, 2.5 weeks. The average number of weeks spent at extramural site(s) per class was: freshman 1.9 weeks (SD=4.3); sophomores 2.3 weeks (SD=4.2); juniors 2.6 weeks (SD=1.9); and seniors 5.3 weeks (SD=6.7). Of total student time in extramural programming, 43.3 percent was spent delivering basic clinical services, 24.4 percent comprehensive clinical services, 11.8 percent health education, 11.8 percent preventive dentistry, and 8.7 percent community activities. From the data collected it is apparent that the majority of North American dental schools are providing a variety of extramural experiences for their dental students. It was found that student involvement in extramural programming increases gradually from the freshman to the senior year. (+info)