One of the highlights of the recent 2016 Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM) was the second annual nurses training program conducted by Sunstar Americas and the National Dental Association (NDA). Entitled “Oral Health and Nursing: A Team Approach to Population Health,” the program instructed 118 nurses and students from Columbia University and New York University on how to take an interprofessional team approach when addressing the link between oral health and systemic health.
Participants received hands-on training on how to perform an oral health screening at a community outreach program or in a health fair setting. Participants were also given guided tours of the GNYDM exhibit hall and three presentations:
- “Razzle Dazzle Smiles™: An Overview of Oral Health and Oral Care Products”
- “What a Difference a Smile Makes: Oral Health Care for Diabetic Patients”
- “Intro to Mobile Dentistry”
Since its inception, Sunstar has donated dental products to the four-day event. “We are proud to support a program that enables nurses to pursue the causes of both oral and systemic health,” said Marie Wilson, MPH, Senior Manager of Scientific Affairs & Professional Relations for Sunstar. “We hope that this groundbreaking inter-professional approach will inspire others in both the dental and medical professions to embrace the oral-systemic link.”
“We know from our experience with last year’s program that many of our attendees will now be conducting oral health screenings as part of their overall health exams,” said Hazel J. Harper, DDS, MPH, Founding Director of NDA-HEALTH NOW®. “To have the nursing profession actively focusing on oral health is truly exciting and gratifying.”
The National Dental Association promotes oral health equity among people of color by harnessing the collective power of its members, advocating for the needs of and mentoring dental students of color, and raising the profile of the profession in our communities.
For more information about Sunstar, please visit http://www.gumbrand.com/
For more information about the NDA, visit www.ndaonline.org/healthnow
About Sunstar Americas
Sunstar Americas, Inc. is a member of the Sunstar Group of companies, a global organization headquartered in Switzerland that serves oral health care professionals and consumers in 90 countries around the world. Sunstar’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of people everywhere via its four business areas: mouth and body, health and beauty, healthy home, safety and technology. Sunstar Americas, Inc. provides quality oral care products under the GUM®, Butler® and GUIDOR® brands.
