Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene (CJDH)

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) promotes team-based approaches to professional practice and lifelong collaboration. However, there is little consensus on its “best practice” in dentistry and dental hygiene curricula. This study aimed to explore dental hygiene students’ perceptions and experiences of collaboration with dentistry students in an IPE program that authentically represents private practice settings and work processes. The intent was to identify what students thought would best help prepare them to work collaboratively in an oral health team once they graduated after participating in this experience. Methods: Data were collected from 40 dental hygiene student written reflections and 6 dental hygiene students through a focus group session that was audiorecorded and transcribed. Data were examined using thematic analysis. Results: Five interrelated themes emerged: 1) understanding of roles and responsibilities; 2) hierarchical perceptions and level of experience; 3) team dynamics; 4) instructor and staff involvement and support; and 5) timing and structure of IPE activities. The findings suggest that dental hygiene students need consistent and sustained access to realistic environments in which to practise team roles and work directly with dentistry students. Opportunities to build relationships with dentistry students before working together in professional roles appear to alleviate hierarchical concerns that impede teamwork. Conclusion: IPE should occur throughout students’ education as hierarchical perceptions appear to influence collaboration. Informal and/or non-clinical IPE opportunities should be introduced early in students’ education to develop a foundation for team dynamics in later formal and/or clinical IPE activities. Students should collaborate in ways that will be reflected in professional expectations after graduation; the environment in which they learn their team role should provide the opportunity to authentically practice it.

Objective: This narrative review examines the literature on type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and periodontitis pathogenesis, seeking to determine the effectiveness of periodontal therapy in improving glycemic control in individuals with T1DM. Methods: A detailed search of the literature was conducted in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were systematic reviews with meta-analyses published between 2015 and 2020, and human peer-reviewed clinical trials addressing the effectiveness of periodontal treatment on glycemic control in individuals with T1DM published between 1995 and 2020. Results: The search retrieved 3 systematic reviews and 9 original research papers that included 10 clinical studies. Discussion: Three systematic reviews on T1DM and periodontal disease suggested that individuals with T1DM have more features of periodontitis than healthy subjects, although long-term data are scarce. Nine of the ten clinical studies showed no impact on glycemic control in individuals with T1DM, while 1 study reported improvement. Conclusion: The selected literature lacked data on long term assessment and adequate randomization with controls. The data perused did not provide sufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of periodontal therapy in improving glycemic control in type 1 diabetes or to suggest that T1DM is a risk factor for periodontal disease.

Objectives: Research shows that approximately 75% of people worldwide access the internet for health information. Lower calibre websites often use inaccurate claims to attract internet browsers. The objective of this review is to alert oral health care professionals (OHCPs) to the impact of oral health media hype on client perceptions of oral care. It also aims to provide OHCPs with tools to educate clients on how to identify credible oral health information online so that they can make informed oral health treatment decisions. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. The returns were screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 12 (92%) identified that clients browse the internet to research oral health conditions and treatments. Eleven studies (85%) concluded that media outlets influence client perceptions of oral health care and treatment. All 13 studies (100%) found that OHCPs and organizations should better guide clients with tools to discern between evidence-based (EB) and non-evidence-based (NEB) online health information. Discussion: According to the literature, viewing NEB oral health information on the internet affects clients’ perceptions of oral health care, which may lead to potentially harmful treatment decisions. Chairside education is effective in reducing the impact of oral health misinformation. Conclusion: OHCPs have the responsibility to address the impact of media hype on clients’ perception of oral health care and to direct them to credible health information.

Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia (TUGSE) is a rare, benign, and self-limiting ulcerative lesion, with the tongue being the most common site of occurrence and traumatic inflictions being the common etiology. Case report: A 45-year-old female reported to the dental operatory with a complaint of pain on the left side of her tongue for the past 8 months. Her history revealed that a small ulcer had gradually grown to be 2 cm x 1.5 cm on presentation. She indicated that the ulcer often interfered with her maxillary left canine while occluding. She also gave a history of a tobacco chewing habit for 15 years which she stopped 6 years ago. Clinically she had a single erythematous ulcer with irregular borders and raised margins. The client was treated with surgical excision of the lesion. The excised lesion was confirmed histologically to have eosinophil rich cells and was diagnosed as TUGSE. Conclusion: TUGSE should be recognized and not neglected as it closely resembles malignancies of the oral cavity. It also has a good prognosis and heals rapidly after the surgical excision or on its own with time, which may range from a few weeks to a year.

Periodontal disease is associated with diabetes mellitus and poor overall health. While the biological underpinnings of this relationship have been identified, less is known about the extent to which this relationship is affected by dental and medical care visits. Two studies lead by the primary author (KKP) explored the likelihood of diabetes complications among persons living with diabetes in Ontario, Canada, who were followed prospectively in administrative health data. The results from both studies confirmed that poor to fair self-reported oral health was associated with a greater risk for diabetes complications, and that poor dental and medical care visiting behaviours increased this risk. In general, the findings indicate that a greater number of dental and medical visits had a protective effect on the overall health of persons with diabetes. This discovery has important implications for all health care providers interested in managing oral and systemic health.