Nurse Practitioners Can Help Advance Oral Health Care

Nurse practitioners have a role to play in closing the gap in access to quality oral health care, according to a study led by the Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health in Boston. Data from the study, published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, indicate high satisfaction rates with graduates’ level of oral health training and competence.

Nurse practitioners are often on the front lines of oral health care, as they may visit places where oral health professionals may not be, such as school campuses, nursing homes and health centers. Broadening their knowledge of oral health will allow nurse practitioners to help identify oral diseases.

The authors propose advancing efforts to integrate oral health education and competency in nurse practitioner curricula.