Improving oral health in Ireland: a dental and public health nurse collaborative quality improvement initiative.

Introduction: The Health Service Executive in Ireland has piloted dentist-led initiatives targeting children aged 4-5. These initiatives involved an intra-oral check by dentists in the school setting, and a subsequent dental clinic appointment if dental decay was identified. The aim of this project was to explore the best method of delivering school-based, intra-oral examinations, by piloting a programme to identify children with dental decay with allied health professionals.

Methods: A quality improvement framework (Plan Do Study Act) was used for this oral health improvement project. The intervention included an oral health promotion session and an intra-oral check by a dentist or non-dental health professional. Those identified with cavitated dental decay were given an appointment with a dentist.

Results: In total, 122 children were targeted. There was an increased uptake of this programme when public health nurse (PHN)-led and this phase was lower cost as a PHN was already present in the school.

Conclusion: PHNs were able to identify dental decay and provide referrals for further assessment in a high-risk population. PHNs could therefore play a role in the screening of children nationally for dental decay. This pathway may be helpful in identifying children or families not engaging with dental services.