Dental hygiene is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. As the field expands, so does the understanding of the critical role oral health plays in full body health — with dental hygienists increasingly serving as an essential part of interprofessional health care teams.
For National Dental Hygiene Month in October, Keeley Flavin, a clinical associate professor in the School of Dentistry, discusses the importance of dental hygiene and how the field is transforming in the modern era.
Q: What does a dental hygienist do?
Flavin: Dental hygienists are highly-educated and skilled care providers who play an integral role in helping patients achieve and maintain oral health. I like to think of dental hygienists as prevention specialists — we are trained in managing complex medical and dental needs, recognizing signs of disease, formulating individualized treatment plans and educating our patients about oral conditions.
Your dental hygienist can also quite literally save your life: we are trained to perform a number screening assessments for life-threatening conditions such as oral cancer, HPV, HIV and cardiovascular disease. In Minnesota, dental hygienists are skilled in the administration of local anesthesia, nitrous oxide-oxygen sedation, and additionally may choose to become certified in the placement of dental restorations. We’re also trained to counsel for tobacco cessation, nutrition and immunization for the prevention of deadly oral cancers.
Q: What role does dental hygiene play in full-body health?
Flavin: Within the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that oral health is highly connected to our full-body health. Associations have been found between the bacteria in our mouth and systemic diseases including cardiovascular disease, strokes and Alzheimer's disease, among others. When dental hygienists see their patients for routine check-ups, we screen for early signs and symptoms of diseases and help educate patients about this connection so they can be informed about their overall health. If we find anything concerning in health screenings, we’re able to connect patients with the care provider to meet their needs.
Q: What role does interprofessional collaboration play in the field of dental hygiene?
Flavin: Because dental hygienists are well-versed in the mouth and body connection, we often collaborate with health care providers outside of the dental clinic. This may include reaching out to a patient’s medical doctor or surgeon to verify a safe course of treatment, pharmacists to manage complex medication needs, or nutritionists and dieticians to diagnose and manage nutritional needs. Most recently, dental hygienists have been gaining recognition for their important role in collaborating with medical teams in the hospital setting. Research has shown that oral health significantly declines during a hospital stay which can lead to poorer overall outcomes, including hospital-acquired infections and lower quality of life. Having an in-hospital provider who specializes in oral health can help bridge the gap between medicine and dentistry and improve patient outcomes.
Q: How is the field of dental hygiene changing and evolving?
Flavin: With emerging research on the mouth and body connection and the important role of dental hygienists, current students may find themselves in future roles that don’t even exist yet! The dental hygiene profession is starting to think out-of-the-box in terms of how and where we provide our care. In addition to clinical practice, we now see dental hygienists traveling to long-term care facilities, practicing in mobile dental units that reach low-access communities, or working in hospitals and healthcare homes. The profession is evolving with the needs of local communities.
It’s important to note that there is a nationwide shortage of dental hygienists. These out-of-the-box applications of our profession and scope of practice — including working in collaborative agreements, training to perform additional duties such as administering local anesthesia and by using teledentistry — can increase access to care even amidst the shortage of professionals.
Q: How is your work at the University of Minnesota advancing knowledge and application of dental hygiene?
Flavin: The University of Minnesota’s Dental Hygiene Program is on the front lines of the future of dental hygiene. Rather than just speaking about all of the exciting opportunities for our emerging dental hygienists, we demonstrate first-hand where students can take their dental hygiene careers. One of these unique experiences is an interprofessional rotation in the M Health Fairview Medical Center — through a grant secured by our division director Dr. Cyndee Stull, my colleague Mercedes VanDeWiele and I were able to serve as the M Health Fairview Medical Center’s only hospital dental hygienists. The experience really demonstrated the importance of an oral health professional in hospitals and, after the grant ended, Mercedes was hired on as a full-time hospital dental hygienist. I also continue to lead interprofessional education rotations with students. It’s so important for students to see role models practicing in the environments available to them. It’s one thing for us to tell them about all of the exciting new opportunities out there, and it's an entirely different experience for them to see it in action.
Keeley Flavin, MSDH, is a full-time clinical associate professor in the division of dental hygiene in the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. She works to educate senior and junior dental hygiene students in didactic, clinical and interprofessional education. Additionally, she serves as a hospital dental hygienist at the MHealth Medical Center, and practices one day a week in a general dentist office.
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About the School of Dentistry
The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry advances health through scientific discovery, innovative education and the highest-quality care for all communities. As the state's only dental school, the School of Dentistry educates the next generation of oral health professionals and is a resource to five states for dental education and consultation. Of Minnesota’s practicing dentists, 72 percent are graduates of the dental school. Through its clinics, the School of Dentistry also sees more than 156,000 patient visits each year.
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