Dentists need to be able to give people with HIV/AIDS compassionate and comprehensive care. Previous studies have shown that many dental students have negative attitudes towards treating such individuals. This article addresses the effectiveness of a program that trains dental students in the issues of treating this population. All predoctoral students at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry are required to receive this training. Students complete a pre-session survey during their third year and a post-session survey as they complete the training during their fourth year. The survey was administered from 2003 to 2009 during which 386 students completed responses to the post-session survey. Five questions in the survey address self-evaluation of knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in the efficacy of universal precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis following bloodborne exposures. This study reports on five two-year testing cycles and shows significant shifts in all five areas surveyed. The most significant gains were in the two areas that are not addressed in much detail in other courses in the dental school curriculum. These are familiarity with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and confidence in the efficacy of PEP. These data support the usefulness of such a program in preparing future dentists to deliver appropriate care to persons living with HIV/

Background and Purpose: Oral health is often related to other medical conditions. This study investigated the knowledge and opinions of California physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) regarding the interface between oral and overall health and their suggestions for strengthening this interface. Methods: A survey packet was mailed to randomly-selected California healthcare providers in Winter 2015. Twenty five-point Likert-type questions were used to measure the providers’ knowledge and opinions of the oral and overall health interface. Results: Sixtytwo physicians, 117 dentists, 136 pharmacists, and 289 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) responded (total N= 604). A majority of all health professionals agreed/strongly agreed that oral health topics received little attention in the education of non-dental health professionals (n=499, 82.6%), and that the dental discipline remains relatively segregated from other healthcare disciplines (n=500, 82.8%). Dentists and APRNs were more likely to agree/agree strongly that the inadvertent prescribing of medications that can have xerostomic effects without considering their oral health implications is a major problem. Conclusion: There is a need for more inter-professional collaboration by all primary care providers in managing the patients’ oral and overall health, as well as more oral health education and training for all non-dental health professionals.

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