What does improving oral health outcomes really mean? The preventive role of primary health care in dentistry and why dental therapists and dental hygienists were introduced for specific preventive roles

Helen Tane

Research output: Other contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract

This study investigated the role of prevention and oral health promotion in a selection of New Zealand and Australian dental clinics. Design: A questionnaire was designed using a mixed methods approach to collect data from oral health therapists working in regional and rural practices in New South Wales Australia, and comparative regional and rural practices in two New Zealand locations. A similar questionnaire was used to collect data from participants who attended an international conference. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to give explanation to the evolution of oral prevention and oral health promotion at a local, national and international level. A selection of the literature was ordered into a written sequence and presented in a thesis, along with the results from the questionnaires. Results: Results demonstrated key influencing factors evident in practices, and effectiveness of prevention and oral health promotion in the selected New Zealand and Australian dental clinics. A significant finding was that while study participants identified that oral health promotion was important, a high number considered that oral health promotion is not their practising role definition, neither was it supported by dental management in most of the New Zealand and Australian dental clinics selected for inclusion in this study. Whilst there is significant interest in their clinical scope of practice and levels of competence in clinical tasks, the results showed that very little interest has been paid to competency in prevention and capabilities in oral health promotion. The most significant finding was that the 'place of workâ'� shows an impact on the currency of health promotion knowledge of the oral health therapists as well as their health promotion level of activity.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Event5th American Dental Education Association International Women's Leadership Conference - Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
Duration: 14 Sept 201416 Sept 2014
https://www.adea.org/PastEvents/IWLC/2014.aspx (conference website with link to program)

Conference

Conference5th American Dental Education Association International Women's Leadership Conference
Country/TerritorySpain
CityBarcelona
Period14/09/1416/09/14
Internet address

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