Exploring dental student participation in interdisciplinary care team conferences in long-term care

The purpose of this study was to explore how the participation of dental hygiene students in interdisciplinary care conferences conducted in long-term care (LTC) facilities influenced the staff's awareness of oral health, the student's provision of care as well as the student's ability to work on an interdisciplinary team.

Oral health in LTC continues to be poor despite many educational and clinical interventions. The care of a frail elder requires an interdisciplinary team approach, yet dental professionals are often absent from these teams. As an educational intervention, dental hygiene students, in addition to providing clinical care to residents and education to staff in a LTC facility, have been participating in interdisciplinary care conferences for 4 years.

Nine LTC facility staff and eight students participated in two focus groups and five personal interviews to discuss their experiences of the care conferences. Narratives were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted.

Four major themes emerged that described the essence of the experience of involving dental professionals within interdisciplinary care conference: (i) addressing oral health, (ii) reciprocal learning, (iii) dealing with complexity and (iv) impact of collaborative care.

Overall, students found the educational intervention to be worthwhile that allowed for the development of interdisciplinary skills and a greater understanding of dental geriatrics. The dental support in care conferences was welcomed by the staff as it facilitated a new way of exchanging knowledge and experiences so that a more holistic approach to care could be undertaken by all.