Dental students floss out gaps with nursing collaboration

Interprofessional education took center stage this week as dental students stepped out of the clinic and into the nursing lab.

From March 9 to March 13, Dental Assisting students visited various classrooms within the Myhal School of Nursing to share their oral health expertise. The initiative helped foster a deeper understanding of how healthcare roles intersect. While the collaboration began last year as a partnership specifically between Dental Assisting and Personal Support Worker students, its success led to an expansion this year to include Practical Nursing, and Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.

School of Allied Health Professor Leeza Dougherty, who led the initiative, expressed her pride in the project’s.

“What an amazing week this was. In total, we were able to engage over 240 students across multiple health disciplines,” said Dougherty. “This collaboration provided Dental Assisting students with the opportunity to demonstrate their competencies in oral hygiene instruction and nutritional counselling, while also learning about oral care in hospital and long-term care settings.”

To prepare for the week, DA students developed comprehensive online presentations and lesson plans. First-term students focused on the fundamentals of prevention, such as fluoride, toothbrushing, and interdental care, while second-term students tackled more complex theory and preclinical skills, including denture cleaning and oral hygiene instruction.

Throughout the sessions, students highlighted the oral-systemic link and practical techniques for supporting those in their care.

“Following the presentation, the DA students led hands-on sessions in the nursing lab, guiding learners through simulated oral care procedures using typodonts and bedside manikins to practice safe and effective oral care techniques,” said Dougherty.

For first-year Dental Assisting student Rosie Davidson, the project was a chance to practice patient-centered care that drew her to the field. Davidson, who chose the program to help patients navigate dental anxiety, spent hours researching topics like plaque bacteria and periodontitis. She created a PowerPoint and a detailed lesson plan to ensure the PSW students walked away with a summary of key information.

“I value being able to support patients and make their experience more comfortable,” said Davidson. “Even small actions, such as explaining procedures in simple terms or checking in to ensure a patient feels okay, can greatly improve how someone feels about visiting the dentist.”

Providing oral care education to PSW students proved to be a rewarding experience for Davidson. She found it valuable to demonstrate how to care for older or bedridden patients, recognize early signs of oral disease, and how to choose appropriate interdental aids based on individual needs. She also appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with PSW students – a field she is unfamiliar with and apply her dental knowledge in a real-world setting alongside a different discipline.

“It allowed me to collaborate with a profession that I was not very familiar with,” she said. “Participating in this collaborative presentation also strengthened my confidence in educating others about oral health practices.”

Nursing Professor Tracey Davey applauded the initiative, and said the presentations drew a high level of interest from her students.

“It was extremely worthwhile to see students exchange such a great interest in patient care! The nursing students were very engaged and asked lots of great questions,” said Davey. “We were also amazed at the way the dental students shared their experience and knowledge. The collaboration was a huge success.”

PSW Professor Lesley Powell noted that she heard positive feedback from her students following the interdisciplinary lab this year as well as last. DA students shared with PSW students how to care for dentures, partial plates and other dental appliances; provided tips on how to educate their clients; and demonstrated how to use tools that PSW students wouldn’t have typically seen in the lab.

“Having the DA students, soon to be experts in their field, share their knowledge with the PSW students helps promote dental hygiene not only for our students but for the clients they will be assigned to care for,” said Powell. “This experience also exemplifies to the PSW students the importance of teamwork and demonstrates collaboration for multi-disciplinary health care team in paramount to providing excellent care to the client.”

The benefits of this partnership are not over yet. Dougherty noted that the collaboration will continue in May when nursing and PSW students will visit the Dental Assisting Preventive Clinics as patients. The next phase will allow dental students to refine their clinical skills while their peers in nursing receive professional care.

“It was incredible to see how this interprofessional event strengthened communication among all participants while sharing professional expertise and building respect for each other’s roles in patient care,” said Dougherty.