Capstone Project Reflection Paper

RIDOH Oral Health Internship- During the first semester of my 2017-2018 school year, I was able to work as an intern for the RIDOH’s Oral Health department. During my time there, I was able to learn about the oral health world outside the dental office, which was an experience I had never had in the past. I was involved in a wide variety of projects including oral health research for the purpose of improving current programs, creating new programs, and helping to identify areas where people are not taking advantage of their health policies. However, the project that I am most passionate about is an oral health survey that I was tasked to create, which will gather current information about the overall oral health in college students.

The authors have properly addressed the health disparities in this article. They started the article by telling the audience why Hispanic faces health disparities the most. First, due to the language barrier they have insufficient knowledge of oral health. Most the people who participated in this study were immigrants, Spanish. Only 2/3 of the people spoke and understood little to no English. Second, because of the poverty they have can’t afford dental health and avoid going to see the dentist. ¾ of the parents received an income of $2,000 or under per month. Third, many of the families did not have any type of dental insurance.

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

In clinical settings next fall and spring I intend to use research methods to assist my patients in achieving patient’s human needs. Before starting to work on the patient the treatment plan based on each patient’s need will be developed by me. As a dental hygienist student I would provide efficient educational methods by administering evidence-based facts when preparing individualized patient-centered

Although there have been oral health care models, as well as, best practice concepts for oral health, there is still a host of barriers that prevent this problem from being minimalized. Factors including negative behaviors from both the staff and residents, dexterity, mobility, as well as a lack of dental supplies, often leave the residents or the health care personnel frustrated. Some of the factors that prevent dentists from caring for these residents is a lack of mobile equipment, lack of space, time away from their private practice, and low reimbursement rates (Dirks, 2016). The director of nursing, along with the administrator, must collaborate with dental personnel to change the culture and instill a higher value on oral health. On-site training and education must be included in oral care, along with infection control regulations. Most residents are not able to coordinate their own care and often rely on personnel at the facility for assistance. There needs to be a collaboration between dental personnel, facility staff, and the residents, to cultivate oral care as an integral part of health and wellness for each resident (Chaves,

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Molly Koopman, Expanded Function Dental Assisting Program, Miami Jacobs Career College, Springboro, OH 45066

Many low income areas have dental therapists as part of their local dental team. Many people in these areas have never been to a dentist or do not go every six months as recommended this poses many other health problems. There has been case studies and data showing that in these areas dental health

Administration of this clinical skill involved undertaking an assessment of my colleague’s mouth before delivering any care in order to help determine the most appropriate means of delivering oral care. Malkin (2009) asserts that this is a critical component of the procedure and was one I was keen not to overlook. The World Health Organisation (WHO 2010) describes a healthy mouth as being free of chronic mouth and facial pain and in the situation described; this is the condition I found my partner’s mouth to be in. I was therefore happy to proceed with cleaning his teeth as instructed. I selected to use a soft bristled toothbrush and toothpaste. The use of these adjuncts are described by many writers as being the most appropriate in terms of removing plaque and preventing trauma to the gums (Holman et al 2005,McCauliffe 2007).Despite this it has been identified that they are also most

L., Walsh, M. M., (2015). Dental hygiene: Theory and practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

As dental health care providers, we look at the many ways we can help our community with their access to care, ways to provide preventative treatment, and how we may best be able provide services to our clients. Many times the largest issue that lies within our community is access to care1. This is current crisis is a tremendous barrier which is affecting low-income populations, restricting their access to care1. In order to provide much needed services to many who go without dental care, a new position has emerged within the dental provider community within the last few years. This new role is the mid-level dental provider. A mid-level dental provider is a

Oral health is an important part of an overall health. Oral diseases ranging from cavities to cancer are all serious threats to an oral health. Research shows that there may be a link between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke as well as pre-term and low-birth-weight babies. If left untreated, it can cause more complications to the oral health. Periodontal disease, root caries and infections and other oral cancer can lead to severe pain, loss of teeth and serious health conditions. As a health care provider, it is significant to realizing the connection between oral diseases and systemic diseases so that we all can deliver our services to prevent and help treat disease while it is still manageable. Expanding the role of dental hygienists might reduce the most serious consequences of limited access to dentists, and dental hygienists are potentially well suited to play an important role in expanding affordable access (1). Collaborative practice of dental hygiene

In association with the NY/NJ AETC Oral Health Regional Resource Center (OHRRC), the New York State Department of Health-AIDS Institute provides in-services and other educational opportunities about the latest developments in oral health aspects of the HIV epidemic to dental providers working in agencies that provide services to the HIV Infected community.

For four long years I felt as if my high school was in a different world in of itself. I had spent that time interacting with an extensive amount of groups, or “cliques”, and getting to know what they do. Through my experiences, I had begun to realize what made this “subculture” high school of sorts run like it did. High school is an incredibly dynamic time for people, and I had changed as a person dramatically from my freshman to senior year. Like many, my freshman year was quite awkward, as remnants of my middle school self remained with me. As time went on, how, I talked to more people and grew out of my passive and shy personality. This did not just randomly happen without reason though. I began to learn and realize who I was and whom I enjoyed talking to in school, which explained why I spent so much time socializing with multiple kinds and groups of people. Everyone’s concept of “normal” was different, and high school was where I learned that lesson and will never forget.

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.