Interprofessional Community Engagement Project

This Project supports an interdisciplinary team -- a dental hygienist, pediatric dentist, physician, nutritionist and students -- to continue addressing unmet health needs of children in underserved and rural areas. It reaches 500 more children through existing partnerships, exposing future dental professionals, physicians, physical therapists, and physician assistants to needs of children in designated community centers. Interprofessional education in collaborative practice is modeled by providing services and education to children, parents and teachers to sustain early preventive efforts. This team provides dental screenings, oral health education, nutrition education, obesity prevention, BMI screenings, and physical exercise. Evaluation informs good planning for ongoing and future projects.