“Sorry, I'm not a dentist”: perspectives of rural GPs on oral health in the bush

Barnett, Tony; Hoang, Ha; Stuart, Jackie; Crocombe, Leonard

doi:10.5694/mja15.00740

Cited by 26 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Participants acknowledged that a lack of interprofessional communication affects continuity of care and patient outcomes. This is supported by research from Barnett et al . that describes such non‐communication as problematic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Participants acknowledged that a lack of interprofessional communication affects continuity of care and patient outcomes. This is supported by research from Barnett et al 15 that describes such non-communication as problematic. Multidisciplinary continuing education and professional development on topics of common interest, such as halitosis, are necessary to instil an understanding and appreciation of the role of different health professionals and to promote effective interprofessional communication, collaboration and referral pathways.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Most GMPs and CPs felt that they were not trained adequately in oral health. Barnett et al . also found that the professional training of GMPs and CPs in Australia lacked oral health content.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most GMPs and CPs felt that they were not trained adequately in oral health. Barnett et al 15 also found that the professional training of GMPs and CPs in Australia lacked oral health content. Interestingly, even though GDPs are trained specifically in dental health, and proportionately more GDPs in our study were comfortable raising the topic of halitosis with their patients, there were still GDPs who were not.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

‘Say Ahhh’: What do dentists, general medical practitioners and community pharmacists do about halitosis?

Lau

Meethal

Middleton³

et al. 2019

International Dental Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Halitosis is common and can have significant impact on quality of life. Current literature recommends multidisciplinary approaches. This paper explored the practice, knowledge and views of Australian general dental practitioners (GDPs), general medical practitioners (GMPs) and community pharmacists (CPs) on halitosis and interprofessional collaboration to manage halitosis. Methods A mixed methods approach was used. Recruited GMPs, GDPs and CPs completed an online survey. A small number then participated in semi‐structured follow‐up interviews. Results Sixty‐six GDPs, 27 GMPs and 114 CPs completed the survey. Five from each group were interviewed. Sixty‐eight percent of GMPs and 46% of CPs considered halitosis management part of their role despite the majority feeling that they had insufficient oral health training. Sixty‐eight percent of GMPs, 86% of GDPs and 79% of CPs thought interprofessional halitosis care would benefit patients. Most participants admitted to feeling uneasy when starting conversations with their patients about halitosis. Most GDPs did not monitor their patients’ progress, and GMPs seemed comfortable in managing halitosis only when it had a systemic cause. Critically, the role of CPs in halitosis management was poorly understood. Conclusion Most GDPs, GMPs and CPs find it challenging to manage patients with halitosis and are interested in working together. Improving health professionals’ knowledge and training will contribute to comprehensive interprofessional halitosis management.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

‘Say Ahhh’: What do dentists, general medical practitioners and community pharmacists do about halitosis?

Lau

Meethal

Middleton³

et al. 2019

International Dental Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Australia, people living with diabetes generally visit GPs for diabetes management [16] and therefore encouraging GPs, in line with current clinical guidelines, to incorporate oral health reviews and referral activities as part of diabetes care is pertinent to improving oral health and diabetes outcomes of their patients. Few studies have explored the role of GPs in promoting oral health among general patients in rural and regional Australia and found that they were not very confident in managing oral health complications despite regularly seeing patients with oral health problems [17,18]. However, to date, no Australian studies have explored this area of general practice from a diabetes care perspective, therefore the aim of this study was to explore current practices, perceptions and barriers of GPs towards oral health care for people living with diabetes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Poorly controlled diabetes leads to multiple complications including oral health problems. General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of management of chronic diseases in primary health care. Diabetes guidelines encourage a proactive role for GPs in oral health complications management in people with diabetes, yet little is known about this area of care. This study aimed to explore current practices, perceptions and barriers of GPs towards oral health care for people with diabetes. Methods: We employed a qualitative research method utilising telephone interviews. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 12 GPs from Greater Sydney region. A thematic analysis involving an inductive approach was used to identify and analyse contextual patterns and themes. Results: A majority of participants were males (n = 10), working in group practices (n = 11) with a mean ± SD age of 55 ± 11.4 years and 25 ± 13.6 years work experience. Three major themes emerged: oral health care practices in general practice settings; barriers and enablers to oral health care; and role of diabetes care providers in promoting oral health. Most GPs acknowledged the importance of oral health care for people with diabetes, identifying their compromised immune capacity and greater risks of infections as risk factors. GPs reported 20-30% of their patients having oral health problems, however their current oral health care practices relating to education, risk assessment and referrals were reported as very limited. GPs identified several barriers including time constraints, absence of referral pathways, and limited knowledge and training in promoting oral health care. They also reported patient barriers including oral health care costs and lower oral health awareness. GPs perceived that resources such as education/training, a standardised assessment tool and patient education materials could support them in promoting oral health care. GPs also perceived that other diabetes care providers such as diabetes educators could play an important role in promoting oral health. Conclusions: Despite current recommendations, GPs' current oral health care practices among people with diabetes are limited. Further strategies including capacity building GPs by developing appropriate oral health training programs and simple risk assessment tools along with accessible referral pathways are needed to address the current barriers.

show abstract

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of dietitians in Australia: A national survey

Patterson‐Norrie,

Ramjan,

Sousa

et al. 2024

Health Prom J of Aust

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AimDietitians are a well‐placed profession to be providing pre‐emptive oral health promotion. Despite recommendations that oral health promotion should be routinely part of dietetic practice, there is limited data informing the current practices of clinical dietitians in this area across Australia. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices of Australian dietitians and oral health promotion.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was undertaken involving registered clinical dietitians in Australia using purposive and snowballing sampling (social media/dietetic organisations/public databases). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsA total of 149 dietitians participated in the national survey. Overall, dietitians were knowledgeable about oral health risk factors and preventative measures across general health domains. Majority of dietitians agreed that oral health can affect nutrition interventions (95.5%) and dietitians should be discussing oral health (88.0%). However, nearly half were not confident in providing counselling or education and felt that undergraduate training for oral health promotion was inadequate (78.2%). A small proportion (6.0%) of dietitians were already providing oral health promotion regularly. Key barriers included a lack of clear guidelines for practice, limited training opportunities and indistinct referral pathways.ConclusionDietitians have acknowledged that oral health promotion should be incorporated into their practice. However, they are challenged by a lack of resources and training to support this in clinical practice.So What?Capacity building dietitians to promote oral health allows opportunity for improvement in the oral health, nutritional status and quality of life of priority population groups.

show abstract

“Sorry, I'm not a dentist”: perspectives of rural GPs on oral health in the bush

Abstract: Rural oral health could be improved by several approaches, including additional training for GPs in oral health care, primary prevention activities in communities, and improving the access to dental services.

Cited by 26 publications

References 13 publications

‘Say Ahhh’: What do dentists, general medical practitioners and community pharmacists do about halitosis?

‘Say Ahhh’: What do dentists, general medical practitioners and community pharmacists do about halitosis?

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

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of dietitians in Australia: A national survey

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About