Question 1

As a dental hygiene faculty member, you collaborate with a local hospital to develop a dental clinic for special needs patients. You form an interdisciplinary committee to plan the clinic and its programs, seek grant funding, and pursue policy changes to facilitate the program. Plans include the use of an interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) approach to operating the dental clinic.
-This future clinic is considered an alternative practice setting. The plans for this dental clinic provide greater opportunity for enhanced quality of oral health compared with a traditional dental clinic.

Accepted Answer

A public health setting in which oral health care is provided outside the private office in a "nontraditional" setting is categorized as an alternative practice setting. A community-based clinic or hospital where medical care is also delivered provides a setting in which ICP can be established. This provides the opportunity for increased quality of care because the networking and communication that can occur among the various health professionals enable the sharing of data, resources, health education materials, and general community information relevant to all health needs, including oral health. Effective interaction of dental hygienists with other health professionals can increase the awareness and importance of the relationship between oral health and general health.

Question 2

As a dental hygiene faculty member, you collaborate with a local hospital to develop a dental clinic for special needs patients. You form an interdisciplinary committee to plan the clinic and its programs, seek grant funding, and pursue policy changes to facilitate the program. Plans include the use of an interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) approach to operating the dental clinic.
-To increase workforce capacity and access to dental services, and to reduce program costs, the committee explores the idea of pursuing a mid-level practitioner workforce model and direct access for dental hygienists in the state as a pilot project. Because this would require legislative action, the committee meets with representatives from the state health department, members of the legislature, and state dental board members to discuss this possible initiative. What role of the dental hygienist are you filling as you pursue this legislative proposal?

Accepted Answer

As an advocate, the dental hygienist attempts to develop solutions to problems related to achieving optimal oral health. One form of advocacy is to become a change agent by lobbying for changes that will enhance access to oral health care. A dental hygienist in the role of educator can focus on (1) teaching community dental health/dental public health courses to dental hygiene students as a faculty member, (2) delivering oral health education to the public as an oral health educator, or (3) sharing product information with practicing oral health practitioners as a corporate educator. In the role of clinician, the public health dental hygienist provides clinical services to priority populations, including assessment of oral health conditions and delivery of periodontal and preventive care. As an administrator/manager, the dental hygienist is an initiator who develops, organizes, and manages oral health programs to meet the needs of priority groups.

Question 3

As a dental hygiene faculty member, you collaborate with a local hospital to develop a dental clinic for special needs patients. You form an interdisciplinary committee to plan the clinic and its programs, seek grant funding, and pursue policy changes to facilitate the program. Plans include the use of an interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) approach to operating the dental clinic.
-ICP in this setting has all EXCEPT one of the following benefits and opportunities. Which one is the EXCEPTION?

Accepted Answer

Operation of a dental clinic within a hospital will require a collaborative approach and special skills that are not necessary to operate a stand-alone, independent dental office or clinic in the community. Accountability to the hospital, accrediting agencies, funding sources, and the community is characteristic and a benefit of a complex healthcare organization such as this. ICP is a comprehensive, cost-effective, public health approach that has the potential to improve healthcare outcomes of individuals and enables the integration of oral health into overall health at the level of healthcare delivery. Special needs individuals have been identified nationally as a vulnerable, underserved population group. Involvement of the dental hygiene program in an ICP model will provide opportunities for IPE to prepare graduates to practice using an ICP approach. Various oral health, public health, and medical professional groups have encouraged professional schools to embrace ICP and IPE. ADEA has promoted IPE to prepare graduates in all oral health professions for the future of ICP, and ADHA has called for IPE to prepare for the anticipated growth of public health career opportunities for dental hygienists in the future.

Question 4

As a dental hygiene faculty member, you collaborate with a local hospital to develop a dental clinic for special needs patients. You form an interdisciplinary committee to plan the clinic and its programs, seek grant funding, and pursue policy changes to facilitate the program. Plans include the use of an interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) approach to operating the dental clinic.
-Which current workforce model would be able to provide both dental hygiene and dental services in this program?

Accepted Answer

From the answer choices in this question, the DHT, authorized in Maine, is the only current workforce model with a scope of practice that includes preventive and periodontal services traditionally provided by dental hygienists as well as restorative services. The Alaska DHAT and Minnesota ADT are authorized to provide preventive and restorative services but no periodontal services that are currently in the dental hygiene scope of practice. The CDHC proposed by the American Dental Association and currently in eight states is authorized to provide preventive and limited palliative restorative services.

Question 5

As a dental hygiene faculty member, you collaborate with a local hospital to develop a dental clinic for special needs patients. You form an interdisciplinary committee to plan the clinic and its programs, seek grant funding, and pursue policy changes to facilitate the program. Plans include the use of an interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) approach to operating the dental clinic.
-This clinic will address the call of national initiatives to increase access to dental care for underserved populations. Programs such as this provide public health career options for dental hygienists in the role of clinician, educator, advocate, administrator/manager, and researcher.

Accepted Answer

The various issues and problems concerning access to dental care can be addressed via public health programs to improve access. A comprehensive, hospital-based dental clinic with an ICP approach is an example of a dental public health program that can improve access to dental care. In such a program, a dental hygienist can pursue a career as a clinician; clinic director or manager; advocate for the program, patients, or profession; oral health educator; or researcher, for example, in relation to clinical practice, management, and the oral-systemic link for these special needs patients.

Question 6

Which stage of prevention eliminates or reduces diseases in the early stages?

Accepted Answer

Table 2-1: Stages of Prevention. The secondary stage of prevention eliminates or reduces diseases in the early stages; includes screening to detect and treat changes before onset of symptoms to control disease progression; and requires more technology and is more costly than primary prevention.

Question 7

At which level of supervision can the dental hygienist provide services as he or she determines without specific authorization from a dentist?

Accepted Answer

The ADHA defines direct access as a dental hygienist's "right to initiate treatment based on his or her assessment of a patient's needs without the specific authorization of a dentist, to treat the patient without the presence of a dentist, and to maintain a provider-patient relationship." Direct access may also be referred to as unsupervised practice.

Question 8

Which public health dental hygienist career provides clinical care in a variety of settings, in line with public health priorities, objectives, recommendations, and best practices?

Accepted Answer

Table 2-4: The ADHA has described various career options for dental hygienists. A clinician provides clinical care in a variety of settings, in line with public health priorities, objectives, recommendations, and best practices.

Question 9

Which public health dental hygienist career creates and directs dental public health programs?

Accepted Answer

Table 2-4: The ADHA has described various career options for dental hygienists. The administrator/manager creates and directs dental public health programs. For example, an administrator/manager might direct the oral health unit of a state health department.

Question 10

Which stage of prevention involves dentures, implants, bridge work, prostheses, and reconstructive surgery?

Accepted Answer

Table 2-1: Stages of Prevention. The tertiary stage of prevention involves dentures, implants, bridge work, prostheses, and reconstructive surgery.

Question 11

Which supervision level stipulates that although the dentist needs to authorize the work to be completed before the services are rendered, he or she does not need to be present during treatment?

Accepted Answer

Table 2-2: Levels of Supervision. With the general level of supervision, the dentist needs to authorize the work to be completed before services but does not need to be present during treatment.

Question 12

Which of the following is a criterion, as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration, of a dental health professional shortage area?

Accepted Answer

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) defines a dental health professional shortage area based on the following: (1) the available workforce of dental professionals and of community health departments and clinics is inadequate in relation to the population size; (2) the population group has access barriers that prevent their use of the area's dental providers; or (3) the federal or state correctional, public health, or nonprofit private facility has inadequate capacity to meet the needs of the area or population served.

Question 13

According to the World Health Organization, when does interprofessional collaborative practice occur?

Accepted Answer

According to the World Health Organization, ICP happens when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, carers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care. p. 28

Question 14

Which public health educator role collaborates with other health professionals to share information about a common population, explore the relationship of oral health and other health problems, and plan ways to include oral health education in health education programs?

Accepted Answer

The oral health educator in public health collaborates with other health professionals on the public health team. They share information about a common population, explore the relationship of oral health and other health problems of the population, plan ways to include oral health education in programs planned to intervene in other chronic medical conditions, and collaborate in the public health processes of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation to deliver health education programs.

Question 15

What public health role is frequently part of another professional role for dental hygienists?

Accepted Answer

The role of the researcher is frequently part of another professional role for the dental hygienist. In many positions, the dental hygienist may work part time as a researcher, with the remainder of the job description being one of the other roles described in the textbook (e.g., administrator/manager, educator, or advocate).

Quiz 2: Careers in Public Health for the Dental Hygienist