Teamwork and Oral Health in Diabetes Care.

Area of Science:

• Primary care integration
• Oral health education
• Diabetes mellitus management

Background:

• Oral health is critically linked to systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus (DM).
• Integration of oral health into primary care settings remains a significant challenge.
• Medical assistants (MAs) are key personnel in primary care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate an oral health education program for MAs.
• To enhance MAs' oral health knowledge and screening practices for DM patients.
• To assess the feasibility and barriers of implementing oral health screenings in primary care.

Main Methods:

• A nurse practitioner-led oral health program was implemented.
• Medical assistants (MAs) underwent pre- and post-testing for knowledge assessment.
• Surveys evaluated MAs' likelihood of performing oral health screenings and identified barriers.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in correct answers on post-tests (mean score 81% to 95%).
• Increased likelihood among MAs to ask standardized oral health screening questions.
• Low reported barriers (62.5% reported none) to implementation after one week.

Conclusions:

• The oral health education program effectively improved MAs' knowledge and confidence.
• Team-based training equips MAs to integrate oral health screenings into primary care.
• This approach offers a practical strategy for enhancing oral health in patients with DM.