Oral Health Education and Interprofessional Care

Oral health education and interprofessional care have emerged as pivotal components in modern healthcare, recognising that the mouth is integral to systemic wellbeing. A growing consensus underscores the need to embed comprehensive oral health modules within nursing, medical and allied health curricula to equip practitioners with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Such education fosters early detection of oral disease, promotes preventive strategies and enhances patient outcomes across the lifespan. Interprofessional collaboration—whereby dentists, nurses, physicians and other professionals share expertise—further strengthens care pathways, reduces barriers to access and addresses disparities in vulnerable populations. Global initiatives now advocate for standardised competencies in oral health assessment, patient education and referral protocols. These endeavours not only improve oral health literacy among non-dental clinicians but also cultivate a holistic ethos of team-based practice, reinforcing the importance of seamless communication and shared decision-making for optimal patient care.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Oral Health Education and Interprofessional Care publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oral health education and interprofessional care across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Interprofessional education: A collaborative learning model that brings together students from different health professions to cultivate teamwork, communication and shared decision-making skills.

Oral health literacy: The capacity to obtain, process and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions.

Human-centred design: A research and development approach that involves end users in co-creating solutions tailored to their needs and practice contexts.

Competency: An observable ability integrating knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for effective performance in a professional role.

Preventive screening: Systematic assessment procedures aimed at early identification of oral diseases to enable timely intervention and management.

References

1. Dental education in nursing schools: A pan-Canadian study. Nurse Education Today (2024).
2. Australian nursing students’ perception, knowledge, and attitude towards oral healthcare of older people and associated factors: a national cross-sectional survey. BMC Nursing (2023).
3. A Human-Centered Design Approach to Develop Oral Health Nursing Interventions in Patients with a Psychotic Disorder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).