NDA-HEALTH NOW®, the organization’s award-winning, signature program, is a catalyst for community -based, IP learning that closes the knowledge gap and improves health equity, especially in vulnerable populations. The goals are to improve health outcomes, increase health equity and health literacy, increase awareness of the links between oral and systemic health, and improve collaboration between health disciplines.

An innovative program for nursing students was developed and piloted in 2015 at the annual Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM) at the Javits Convention Center in New York. The NDA-HEALTH NOW-New York® Advisory Committee leveraged the opportunity for a new partnership at one of the New York meetings when the GNYDM leaders said they needed more volunteers for their children’s outreach program and suggested that the NDA train NY nursing students to fill the void. NDA-HEALTH NOW-New York® conducted the 1st nurses oral health training program in 2015 in partnership with Colgate, the Aetna Foundation, Henry Schein Cares, Inc., Columbia University and New York University Nursing schools. It was titled, “ Oral Health And Nursing: A Team Approach to Population Health.”

Community-Based Learning

The nurses’ program is dedicated to training nurses from a “community-based-learning” perspective. Lectures highlight the critical link between oral health and overall health, illustrate how to detect dental pathology of the hard and soft tissues, and how to determine some systemic conditions observable in the oral cavity. In sensory immersion exercises, students experience the different formulations and tastes of different toothpastes and mouthwashes. They also learn toothbrushing and dental flossing techniques, how to demonstrate proper oral hygiene, provide oral hygiene instructions and when to refer to a dental professional. Pairs of nursing students receive one-on-one, hands-on training by dentists, 4th year dental students and dental residents and learn to conduct oral screenings on each other.

The inaugural course participants were students from the Columbia University School of Nursing. Collaborators included NDA-HEALTH NOW- New York® Advisory Committee members who supported the unique program with resources, in-kind donations, speakers, trainers, and volunteers. Of the students who attended, 100% responded that they felt this training would make them a better health team member and the vast majority of the students either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” (11.9% and 84.7%, respectively) that they learned something that they did not know before. When asked if this information/training should be required for all nurses and other non-dental health professionals, 93% agreed that it should. Of the 93%, 80% “Strongly Agreed” that this type of training should be required for all nurses and other non-dental professionals. 94.9% indicated that they would recommend this course to other nurses and other non-dental health students. After the training, 96.9% of the respondents indicated that they are more likely to perform oral screenings, which would not have been the case without this training!