Evaluation of a Pilot Bridging Program to Enable Australian Dental Therapists to Treat Adult Patients

Abstract

This study evaluated a pilot educational bridging program designed to provide dental therapists in Australia with the appropriate knowledge and skills required to enable them to translate their current clinical scope of practice to adult patients. Ten dental therapists completed a bridging program consisting of forty-two hours of didactic content, fourteen hours of clinical observation, forty-two hours of clinical practicum under direct supervision, and 105 hours of clinical experience with supervision by mentoring dentists. Process and impact evaluation was undertaken at various stages of the program by participants and supervising dentists. Self-reported conidence and knowledge for dental therapists had increased at the completion of the course. Supervising dentists reported high levels of knowledge for dental therapists after completing the course and said that the course adequately prepared the dental therapists to translate their current clinical scope of practice to treat adult patients. Eight of the ten participants successfully completed the assessment at the completion of the course and were permitted by the Dental Practice Board of Victoria to extend their clinical scope of practice to adult patients aged twenty-six years of age or more. The dental therapists thought that the educational model was relevant in developing their clinical skills. The evaluation indicates that this model is an effective method of extending the scope of practice for dental therapists and has important implications in enhancing the lexibility of the dental team.

Direct access to midlevel dental providers: an evidence synthesis

“…No adverse impact on patient safety was reported in any of the included studies. Calache and Hopcraft undertook a descriptive study to determine the confidence level and knowledge of 10 dental therapists from Victoria in Australia trained in the management of adult patients . The results suggested that the educational program could provide the therapists with the knowledge and skills required to treat adult patients, but this was based on opinion only, and the numbers were limited.…”

Perceptions and practices of general practitioners on providing oral health care to people with diabetes - a qualitative study

“…Additionally, strategies could also be explored to improve access and reduce wait times for public dental services through the use of an alternative dental workforce such as dental therapists, oral health therapists, and dental hygienists. The use of this dental workforce can be a more costeffective way of providing preventative and non-complex oral health care to children and adults than relying predominantly on dentists [50][51][52][53].…”

Provision of oral health care to adult patients by dental therapists without the prescription of a dentist

“…The educational bridging program was developed based on a review of the literature on educational models shown to be effective in changing clinician's performance or patient outcomes (19). The aim of the educational program was to enable participants to undertake clinical procedures already within the scope of practice for dental therapists on adult patients aged 26+ years, including oral examination, treatment planning, preventive management, and direct restorative treatment without the prescription or supervision of a dentist.…”

“…The educational program ran over a 6‐month period. The details of the curricula have been described in more detail elsewhere (19).…”