A school-based, interprofessional approach to sustaining oral health on an Island community

ABSTRACT

A school-based oral health promotion program was established on a Bahamian island that lacks access to dental care. An interprofessional team of dental hygiene (DH) and occupational therapy (OT) students and faculty delivered an annual service program from 2016 to 2018 based on the Ecological Model of School-Based Health Promotion. The interprofessional team provided oral preventative services and class-based lessons to children to reinforce positive oral health behaviors. Efforts to sustain the program involved partnering with the Bahamian community stakeholders to expand networks of influence, developing effective communication systems, and integrating oral health into the school curriculum. The interprofessional approach enabled a sustained and comprehensive program. This report describes the unique DH and OT interprofessional collaboration and program sustainability efforts.

KEYWORDS:

• School-based health promotion
• oral health
• dental hygiene
• occupational therapy
• interprofessional collaboration

Declaration of interest

No conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martha J. Sanders

Martha Sanders is a Professor of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University and a certified professional ergonomist. She has conducted service learning experiences for occupational therapy students for over two decades at the local and international levels.

Claudia Turcotte

Claudia Turcotte is a Professor of Dental Hygiene at Tunxis Community College, where she has taught for over three decades. She has conducted numerous mission trips providing dental hygiene services for underserved populations in the US and international locations.

Patricia A. Johnson

Patricia Johnson is a Professor and Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator at Tunxis Community College. She has provided dental hygiene services to indigenous populations in the US and underserved populations abroad.