Abstract
ABSTRACT: Access to oral health care is challenging, especially for vulnerable populations and those in rural and underserved areas. The purpose of this brief report is to discuss the implementation strategies of enhanced content in oral health educational materials and share results of acquisition of knowledge and confidence in oral health content by residents in a nurse practitioner residency program. The method included the use of 3 surveys of 34 questions administered at different time points measuring confidence levels and sustainability. Results showed the average level of confidence obtained in Posttest1 and in Posttest 2 after 6 months is greater than the pretest. The paired-sample t-test provides significant evidence of improving mean responses for Questions 10, 11, 16, and 32 in Posttest 1 (p-values: .04 each) and Questions 10, 17, 25, and 31 in Posttest2 (p-values: .04 each) compared with the pretest. In conclusion, the addition of enhanced oral health educational materials in our program resulted in improved knowledge and confidence in the residents to incorporate oral health care in their practices.