Hashemi Talieh Mahmoud, Gholami Mahdia, Khami Mohammad Reza, Mohebbi Simin Z, Shirvani Armin
Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Research Center for Caries Prevention, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, North Kargar Ave, Tehran, Postal Code 1439955991, Iran.
BMC Oral Health. 2025 Jan 3;25(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-05340-0.
Maintenance of oral health, prevention, and health promotion stand as primary competencies for dental graduates. Consequently, it is necessary to promote such an approach in dental schools, which are traditionally focused on treatment, to improve the attitude and practice of students in the field of prevention, the final result of which is the reduction of oral and dental diseases in patients. The study aimed to design Integrated Oral Health Care Pathways (IOHCPs) for adults and children referred to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Dentistry.
The study was carried out in the clinical departments of the School of Dentistry during 2022-2023. The design process involved utilizing the NHS dental care pathway template and developing the initial model for the IOHCPs. Qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with adult patients, parents of pediatric patients, and selected members of the interdisciplinary team (including researchers, experts, and policymakers), were employed to assess existing conditions, needs, and available facilities. The Delphi method was utilized to finalize the care pathway.
Four Integrated Oral Health Care Pathways were formulated, covering dental caries, periodontal diseases, pre-cancerous lesions, and TMJ problems for adults, along with one IOHCP addressing dental caries for children aged 6 years and older, referred to the School of Dentistry. The design of these integrated care pathways was based on the primary prevention of oral diseases. Details, including risk assessment, follow-up times, related home care, and preventive interventions that should be conducted by dental students, were included in the care pathways.
This study focused on designing care pathways based on primary prevention for child and adult patients in dental settings, aiming to enhance patients' oral health by integrating prevention with treatment. The care pathways, designed according to the needs and facilities of the School of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, allow for continuous monitoring of the patients' oral health status and can be considered as a suitable initial model for other educational centers.
维护口腔健康、预防和健康促进是牙科毕业生的主要能力。因此，有必要在传统上专注于治疗的牙科学院推广这种方法，以改善学生在预防领域的态度和实践，最终结果是减少患者的口腔和牙齿疾病。本研究旨在为转诊至德黑兰医科大学牙科学院的成人和儿童设计综合口腔保健路径（IOHCPs）。
该研究于2022 - 2023年在牙科学院的临床科室进行。设计过程包括利用英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）牙科护理路径模板并开发IOHCPs的初始模型。采用定性方法，包括对成年患者、儿科患者家长以及跨学科团队（包括研究人员、专家和政策制定者）的选定成员进行半结构化访谈，以评估现有状况、需求和可用设施。采用德尔菲法确定护理路径。
制定了四条综合口腔保健路径，涵盖成人的龋齿、牙周疾病、癌前病变和颞下颌关节问题，以及一条针对转诊至牙科学院的6岁及以上儿童龋齿的IOHCP。这些综合护理路径的设计基于口腔疾病的一级预防。护理路径中包括了详细信息，如风险评估、随访时间、相关家庭护理以及牙科学生应进行的预防性干预措施。
本研究专注于为牙科环境中的儿童和成人患者设计基于一级预防的护理路径，旨在通过将预防与治疗相结合来提高患者的口腔健康。根据德黑兰医科大学牙科学院的需求和设施设计的护理路径，能够持续监测患者的口腔健康状况，可被视为其他教育中心合适的初始模型。
