Another important factor relates to who is teaching basic sciences. On some occasions, these courses are taught by dentists that are faculty members in the Dental School; on others, they may be taught by either dentists or non-dentists from distinctly different schools which can be rather far removed from clinical health care fields.
In some cases, dentists are associated with hospital staffs and have opportunities for interaction with physicians, nurses, etc. from other services. Unfortunately, these situations represent a minority and often depend on circumstances of personality rather than quality in design. Thus, generally speaking, basic science disciplines are not well integrated with dentistry, which effectively limits the quality and scope of dental practice in the primary care setting.
1. Orientation of the basic sciences toward dental problems.
2. Incorporating biological theory into dental practice.
3. Developing and applying diagnostic or lab procedures in the dental clinic.
4. Motivating basic science teachers for increased interaction with the practice of dentistry.
5. Interaction of dental staff with other health professionals, through multi-disciplinary analysis of clinical problems.
6. Increasing the knowledge base of dental professionals.
Possible disadvantages might include the following:
1. Increased potential for disagreement among professionals which might interfere with clinical outcomes.
2. Diversion of human resources from basic sciences.
3. Underutilization of lab procedures which facilitate accuracy in diagnosis and increase in operations cost.
1. Integration of basic sciences in all curriculum activities;
2. Incorporation of basic sciences teachers in the development of clinical activities in community settings;
3. Application of basic sciences concepts in planning, with input from basic sciences faculty.
Regardless of the level selected, there are some actions that may be universally applied to clinical care. It is important to work with motivated professionals, students and personnel to establish a level of conviction necessary for professional creativity within the practical limits of dentistry. To achieve this, the proficiency of professional staff must be increased, especially in regards to integration with other health professionals. This creates a common knowledge of the scope of participating disciplines and associated jargons. In so doing, greater proximity and coordination of activities can be achieved. Some of these possible areas for involvement are:
1. Training for dental services staff members committed to the UNI Project;
2. Training academic clinicians in basic sciences;
3. Informing basic science teachers about clinical problems;
4. Reinforcement of basic clinical concepts for students through continuing education, audiovisual media, manuals, etc., especially in relation to community care.
5. Development of thematic units related to dentistry which are of interest to and appropriate for discussion by health services staff at different levels. Meetings should be attended by physicians, nurses, dentists, etc. and should occur regularly or as needed. Pain management, for example, is an area which is suitable for integration between the basic and clinical sciences.
6. Increased collaboration in comprehensive diagnosis, considering socioeconomic, biological, and related factors, utilizing appropriate clinical records to facilitate quality in obtaining patient histories and treatment planning. Ideally, this process should be coordinated with the patient's medical evaluation, and should include relevant information concerning unusual conditions of the oral cavity and early manifestations of systemic disease. This record is also important in the caring for healthy individuals, children, pregnant women, etc.
7. Developing research studies concerning community problems, by using or applying basic science methodologies, (e.g. determining fluoride levels or bacteriological counts in water supplies, caloric content of dietary foods, etc.)
8. Application of basic sciences knowledge for the improvement of the practice of preventive dentistry; for example, development of laboratory diagnostic methods for office use, etc.
9. Strengthening infection control measures through the increased understanding of their scientific foundations;
10. Planning and promotion of simple self-care health practices based on clinic and basic knowledge of the disease. Epidemiological studies should be conducted to determine community risk factors for diseases and to estimate their frequency through self-assessments of oral health.