Improved oral health knowledge in a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner program.

ABSTRACT: Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) are a significant workforce in primary care and are uniquely positioned to improve oral health in children through ongoing surveillance in the well-child visit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PNP student satisfaction and knowledge gained with the integration of the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) oral health education program into the first-year primary care curriculum. A descriptive, comparative design examined dental test scores across the pre-SPICE-PD (2013-2014; n = 26) and post-SPICE-PD (2015-2020; n = 55) cohorts. An electronic survey was completed (n = 47; 67%), and focus group (n = 12) audio-recordings were analyzed using Atlas.ti 8.0. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used to assess differences between groups. The SPICE-PD students reported improved knowledge and skill in clinical practice. Focus group themes were oral health education was beneficial, impact of coronavirus disease 2019, and suggestions for improvement. Mean dental test scores improved pre- and post-SPICE-PD (83 vs. 93; p < .001). The SPICE-PD oral health education improved knowledge and was highly satisfying for students. Pediatric nurse practitioners are ideally positioned to integrate oral health into primary care services, thereby improving access to care and ultimately reducing or mitigating early childhood caries. Evaluation of PNP postgraduation practices in the primary care setting is needed to assess whether improved knowledge results in practice change.

Mitigating Global Oral Health Inequalities: Research Training Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they are among the most non-communicable diseases globally, and they disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities, specially within low- and middle-income nations. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the social, economic, and health inequalities in our society, including the existing global oral health inequalities. There is a shortage of dentist-scientist all around the world, especially in developing countries, such as Thailand. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and Fogarty International Center (FIC), joined efforts on creating research capacity in oral health in South East Asia through the Fogarty International Center Training Program in Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research for Thailand (2006-2016). The University of Washington (USA), Thammasat University (Thailand) and Khon Kaen University (Thailand) partnered to conduct short-, medium- and long-term training programs to build regional oral health research capabilities. Investing in research has not only impacted trainees' career development but enhanced advancement of oral health research of South East Asia. The success of partnership calls for expanding oral health research training in other low-income countries.