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Dimensions of Dental Hygiene

A recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at the University at Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies in New York has shed light on the prevalence and effects of stress among oral health professionals working in nonprofit dental facilities serving disadvantaged populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic intensified burnout issues among healthcare professionals, including those in oral health, due to the risk of COVID-19 infection. The survey analyzed clinicians in 25 United States community health centers, revealing that 79.3% of oral health providers reported experiencing burnout, a rate comparable to primary care and mental/behavioral health clinicians.

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Medical Xpress

Burnout is a prevalent problem for the health workforce, associated with employee turnover, absenteeism and depression. Burnout has also been shown to increase risk of medical errors and raises concerns about patient safety.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened issues of  for , especially those providing patient care. For the oral health  in particular, the chance of COVID-19 infection was considered high due to potential contact with respiratory aerosols and spatter during dental procedures.

recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) in the School of Public Health explored the prevalence and effects of burnout and stress among the oral health workforce in safety-net dental organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers worked with the Health Choice Network to analyze its 2021 online survey of clinicians working in 25 community health centers across the U.S.

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The Wall Street Journal

Many Americans lack proper access to dental care. Could creating more dental therapists—clinicians who have less training than dentists but can provide some routine dental care like exams and fillings—help?…

…“This is part of the regular dental team and some of the things a dentist can do can now be done more cost-effectively by a dental therapist,” says Jean Moore, an adviser to the Oral Health Workforce Research Center and director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies, an academic research center based at SUNY Albany’s School of Public Health.

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Dimensions of Dental Hygiene

Teledentistry gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its continued use has been thwarted by regulatory roadblocks. A new report from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at the University at Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies in Rensselaer, New York highlights these barriers in a state-by-state comparison.

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DrBicuspid

University of Albany researchers have identified barriers to the use of teledentistry. Their report was published on September 7 on the university’s Oral Health Workforce Research Center website.

Teledentistry offers an efficient way for dental professionals to triage, consult, diagnose, refer, follow up, and offer health education to patients. It also reduces the number of in-person visits.

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Deseret News

This week’s breaking health news includes a look at the large share of Americans who know personally someone who struggles with addiction and what they think can be done…

…Telemedicine has made big inroads for mental health consultations and general medicine —especially since COVID made in-person consultations harder and more risky. But what’s the role of telemedicine consultations online for dentistry?

The University of Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies in its School of Public Health found that the pandemic also prompted a “dramatic increase” in teledentistry. And the role online consultations play is not likely to diminish in the future, the researchers say.

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Times Union

ALBANY — During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many safety-net dental clinics turned to virtual technology, or teledentistry, to assist with triaging, consultations, diagnosis and referrals.

But while the health crisis propelled the use of telehealth into the mainstream, in most states, regulatory barriers have prevented dental providers from continuing the practice, according to a new report from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies.

“Early on in the pandemic, they were closing dental services because… there wasn’t enough PPE and it needed to go to the medical side and acute care,” Center for Health Workforce Studies Director Jean Moore said. “So there were a lot of things that really kind of forced everyone’s hand to kind of embrace this approach and I think… it has some pretty neat applications going forward.”

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Medical Xpress

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic increase in the use of teledentistry—a strategy that improved access to oral health services despite full or partial closures of dental practices.

recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) in the School of Public Health explored the use of teledentistry by safety-net organizations, which include Federally Qualified Heath Centers (FQHCs), to bridge access to care during the pandemic.

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Dentistry

Teledentistry is an effective way to conduct appointments, according to a new study – but faces significant barriers in the post-pandemic world.

Carried out by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS), the study looked into the use of teledentistry as a strategy.

It was heavily used during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to improve access to oral health services despite full or partial closures of dental practices.

The study suggests teledentistry offers an effective way to conduct appointments involving triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up and health education. As a result, this reduces the number of in-person visits.

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Dentistry Today

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic increase in the use of teledentistry, a strategy that improved access to oral health services despite full or partial closure of dental practices. Teledentistry was successfully utilized for triage, consultation, diagnosis, referral, follow-up, and health education, reducing the number of in-person visits.

recent report by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) explored the use of teledentistry by safety-net organizations which include Federally Qualified Heath Centers (FQHCs), to bridge access to care during the pandemic.

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