Faculty Bibliography

Interprofessional education is interactive learning focused on collaboration and prepares professionals to improve patient care in a collaborative team environment. This article explores how registered dietitians' views and clinical practices regarding pediatric oral health and nutrition have been influenced by interprofessional education with pediatric dentists. Surveys were e-mailed to 150 dietitians who graduated from New York University and may have participated in a pediatric dental rotation between 2005 and 2010. Out of the 109 who were eligible, 36 (33%) responded. The respondents experienced positive collaboration (72%) as well as an increase in awareness (61%) and knowledge (58%) of the relationship between oral health and dietary habits. Dietitians and dentists have the potential to address overall health and the current obesity epidemic.

The American Dietetic Association and the American Dental Association share a common interest in improving the health and quality of life of the population. Dental visits present an opportunity to identify nutrition-related issues for both the pediatric and adult population. Traditionally, dental and nutrition students have had little opportunity to learn and work together since little time was spent on nutrition in the dental curriculum. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a new collaborative training experience for dietetic interns and pediatric dentistry residents. The oral health rotation for dietetic interns also has several objectives, including experience interacting with a culturally diverse population and participating in community nutrition education (Head Start). In its first 18 months, the collaborative program has been viewed as a success by the pediatric dentistry faculty and residents and the nutrition faculty and interns

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this preliminary study was to compare the perception of oral health among subgroups of Asian-American residents of New York City, USA. METHODS: A close-ended questionnaire was administered to 255 Chinese, 134 Indian and 84 Pakistani adults, aged 18-65 years, during 1994-95. A comprehensive dental and oral examination was also performed. The associations of demographic and oral health variables with perceived oral health were evaluated using multivariate ordinal regression models. RESULTS: When data were analyzed in a multivariate context, only ethnicity and income were significant predictors of perceived oral health, after adjusting for DMFT. The within-group multivariate analysis of the three ethnic subgroups' results were as follows: Among the Chinese there were no significant predictors, only income was strongly suggestive; among the Indians, number of missing teeth and number of years in the USA were significant predictors; and within the Pakistani group, DMFT was the only significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that there are ethnic differences in the perception of oral health status even after adjusting for clinical variables as well as for demographic variables in this particular group of Asian-American residents of New York City. Predictors associated with the perception of oral health are different for each ethnic group. When designing oral health promotion activities to diverse ethnic groups, the cultural characteristics of each subgroup should be considered.

Despite encouraging reports of decreasing caries prevalence in children and young adults, dental decay continues to be the major cause of tooth loss in adults. The risk for both coronal and root surface caries, in their primary and secondary forms, increases with advancing age. With recent trends of increasing retention of the natural dentition over a longer period of time, and increasing utilization of dental care services by older adults, the number of restorative procedures performed by dental practitioners is anticipated to increase. Keeping retained teeth healthy in advancing age is a challenge and depends to a large extent on the dentist's ability to develop and implement a preventive-restorative protocol that fits the functional ability and risk status of the individual patient.