This document outlines guidelines and requirements for dental hygiene students to participate in oral health promotion activities in the community. It describes several community placements where students can apply skills like needs assessment, health promotion planning and evaluation. Placements include schools, long-term care homes, treatment centers and more. Students work with varied groups to increase access to care, knowledge of oral health issues, and advocacy. The goal is for students to gain experience providing and promoting community oral health.

1. Student Participation in Oral
Health Promotion Activities
October 26, 2016
Brenda Udahl

2. Dental Hygiene
Community Activities
Long Term Care
Interprofessional Experiences

3. Guidelines, Standards, Competencies
• Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA)
National Competencies
• Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada
Requirements (CDAC)
• National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam (NDHCE)
Blueprint
• Saskatchewan Dental Hygienists Association (SDHA)
Practice Standards
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic (SPT) Practice Standards
– SDHA, Saskpolytech, College of Dental Surgeons of
Saskatchewan

4. Overarching Competencies
• Apply Code of Ethics
• Use effective communication
• Apply evidence-based decision making approaches
• Apply quality assurance standards
• Maintain a documents and records
• Assess the clients’ learning style
• Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented clinical
therapy

5. Community Health
• Recognize the influence of determinants of health
• Collaborate with partners
• Select and implement appropriate health promotion
strategies
• Advocate for healthy public policy
• Use measureable criteria in the evaluation of outcomes
• Demonstrate sensitivity to diversity
• ADPIE

6. Progression of Learning
Year 1
• Determinants of
Health
• Community Health
Strategies
• Presentation Skills
• Design Table Clinics
Year 2
• Epidemiology
• AD
• Literature Review
• P
• I
• E

7. Mother Teresa Middle School
• MTMS serves highly motivated,
economically disadvantaged,
grade 6 – 8 students whose
potential for success has been
compromised by social and
economic factors affecting them
and their families.
• Dental hygiene students:
– Apply determinants of health
– Collaborate with teachers
– Use EBDM skills to suggest
interventions
– See advocacy in action

8. Elementary School Activities
Group Activity Outcome
K Brushed doll’s teeth Used tbr when playing
Gr 1 Dressed up in lab coats Decreased fear
Gr 3,4 Identified indicators of oral health Improved attitudes toward
oral health
Gr 5,6 Used Trivia game to learn about
gingivitis and periodontitis
Increased knowledge
Gr 8 Practiced technique Improved plaque/biofilm
scores

9. Shirley Schneider Support Centre
• This school facility for
pregnant and parenting
young women is provided so
each student may continue
her education and receive
counseling and support
services in an atmosphere of
warmth and understanding.
• Dental Hygiene students:
– Apply determinants of health
– Identify barriers
– Act as mentors

10. Pregnant Teens, Teen Mothers
Goals
• Provide information on oral health and pregnancy,
teenagers, babies
• Demonstrate and practice oral care techniques – for
self and baby
• Opportunity to assume responsibility for baby
• Opportunity to develop competence
• Increased confidence speaking with health care
personnel
• Act as a mentor/role model

11. Supported Living, Transition House,
Addictions Treatment Centres
Activity Outcome
PP on oral health Increased knowledge and demonstration
of positive behaviours
Teach and model specific skills Residents and workers involved in
making a change
Students use research skills, identify barriers and health issues in need of
advocacy, observe examples of advocacy, identify determinants of health,
consider the role of governments, recognize political, social and
economic health issues

12. Community Activities
• Develop skills be able to:
– Act as a professional
– Collaborate
– Think critically
– Advocate
– Coordinate
– Educate
– Promote health

13. Requirements
• 3 ‘volunteer’ activities
– Brownies, Gr 1, CSI, Career Day
– Submit brief Needs Assessment, Plan, Outcome, Evaluation
• 1 major project
– Assess, plan, implement and evaluate a community oral
health activity for an under-serviced group
– Submit Literature Review as part of needs assessment (also
used as credit for DHYG 269 Lit & Stats)
– Develop written and oral report

14. Activities on the Go Semester 1
• HLTH 274
– Identify underserviced group
– Complete review of literature on barriers
– Assess and plan intervention
• Projects
– ‘Gift from the Heart’ April 9, 2016
– Free Dental Day May 6
– Regina Open Door Society
– North Central Family Preschool – nursing students

15. Long Term Care
• Respect autonomy of clients as partners in decision
making
• Design and implement services tailored to unique
needs
• Share information with other health professionals
• Identify issues in need of advocacy
• Contribute to actions that will facilitate access to care
• Use principles of ergonomics

16. William Booth Special
Care Home • Provide oral care
• Recommend daily
mouth care
procedures
• Record findings and
recommendations in
resident’s medical
charts
• Consult with family

17. Long Term Care
Volunteer Activity Major Project
Teach CCAides Review literature on Alzheimers,
zerostomia, attitudes towards oral care,
relationship between oral health and
systemic diseases, or commonly
prescribed drugs
Provide information to adults in
independent living centres
Knowledge and skills
Evaluate and report

18. Interprofessional Activities
• Share information with other professionals about scope
of practice
• Promote team relationships to support client services
• Function effectively within interprofessional teams and
settings
• Model good citizenship
• Apply principles and theories of political action
• Contribute to a healthy work environment

19. Interprofessional Opportunities
• SEARCH - Student
Energy in Action for
Community Health
• SPICE
• EAL
• SCBScN

20. Dental Assisting
• Must have experiences in health promotion for varied
target populations
• Must have a functional relationship with at least one
health care facility or community agency
• Educate a community health audience to increase
awareness or oral health issues and interests

21. Qu’Appelle House
• Students are
partnered with
residents to assess,
plan implement and
evaluate daily
mouth care
procedures

22. Community Activities
• Provide oral health information to children in an
elementary school setting
• Apply pit and fissure sealants to children in an
elementary school or community clinic setting
• Participate in CSI activities at Saskatchewan
Polytechnic to promote oral health

23. Goals
• Provide opportunities to participate in community
health activities to prepare students to initiate and/or
participate when they become practitioners
• Select effective health promotion/education activities
• Describe the provision of oral health services in
Saskatchewan
• Identify oral health issues in need of advocacy
• Act as an advocate