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- Title
Preparing Students for Alternative Practice: Rewards and Barriers in Service Learning.
- Authors
Lautar, Charla J.; Miller, Faith Y.; Summers, Dwayne G.; Blackledge, Lisa L.
- Abstract
Throughout the United States, an emphasis has been placed on: 1) access to oral health care with the publication of the Surgeon General's report on oral health in America and Healthy People 2010, 2) decreasing restrictive supervision laws as they relate to the practice of dental hygienists, and 3) service learning. Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC) defines service learning as a form of experienced education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs, with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development. Junior and senior dental hygiene students participated as part of clinical and service learning requirements in a grant-funded dental sealant program. Serving as the sponsoring agency, the SIUC Dental Hygiene Program received funds from the Illinois Department of Public Health/Division of Oral Health (IDPH/DOH) to provide dental examinations and pit and fissure sealants for school-aged children who qualified for free or reduced-cost lunch or Medicaid/Kidcare. Initial funds were used to purchase portable equipment and supplies. The grant is currently in its second renewal period and SIUC is the only grantee that is operating within a dental hygiene program in the state. A major advantage of working from within a dental hygiene program is that the students serve as the largest human resource, along with a supervising staff dentist, one dental hygiene faculty member, and a graduate student assistant. The purpose of this activity was to not only provide sealants and preventive dental education to underserved elementary school children, but also to enhance the dental hygiene students' experiences working outside a formal clinical setting. This experience provided a snapshot of one aspect of dental hygiene practice in public health and community outreach settings. Since April 2001, the SIUC sealant program has had an overall sealant retention rate of 84.22%, based on the total number of teeth sealed divided by the total number of retained sealants. Feedback was solicited from students regarding their experiences with the program from a short three-item survey. All self-reported responses are based on 19 total students representing 32% of the population eligible to participate in the service learning activity, but constitute a 100% return rate. A total of 47.3% (n = 9) gained self-confidence from the experience working as a team and providing caring and compassionate care. Approximately 80% (n = 15) noted that they felt proficient in applying sealants in an environment other than the dental hygiene clinic. Students cited that providing care for children was rewarding; they were not just "scaling teeth" and enjoyed working in a non-formal setting. Barriers to this learning opportunity included the fact that not all dental hygiene students and elementary school students were able to participate, the need for advanced planning, and the dental supervision requirement. Further opportunities need to be developed to augment service learning that focuses on access to care issues.
- Publication
Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2005, Vol 79, Issue 4, p1
- ISSN
1043-254X
- Publication type
Academic Journal