Publications by authors named "Blinkhorn A"

Objectives: To critically evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the Midwifery Initiated Oral Health-Dental Service (MIOH-DS) designed to improve oral health of pregnant Australian women. Previous efficacy and process evaluations of MIOH-DS showed positive outcomes and improvements across various measures.

Design And Setting: The evaluation used a cost-utility model based on the initial study design of the MIOH-DS trial in Sydney, Australia from the perspective of public healthcare provider for a duration of 3 months to 4 years.

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Introduction: Preliminary evidence suggests dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) may be beneficial for persons with intellectual disabilities. This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the feasibility of adapted DBT for adults with intellectual disabilities and co-morbid psychiatric disorders in the community.

Methods: An adapted DBT programme (aDBT-ID) was delivered to adults with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability (n = 20) and their caregivers (n = 20).

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Introduction: There is a maldistribution of dental professionals working in rural and remote regions of Australia. This study investigates dental graduates from a newly established rural clinical school (RCS) at Charles Sturt University (CSU), New South Wales, Australia, and records graduates' workforce locations and views on working in both metropolitan and rural practice.

Materials And Methods: In late 2015 to early 2016, CSU graduates of 2013 and 2014 were asked to complete a telephone interview related to their employment choices.

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Introduction: This study compares the workplace decisions from University of Sydney (USYD) dental graduates who participated in a 1-month voluntary Rural Clinical Placement Program (RCPP), USYD graduates who did not participate in the RCPP (non-RCPP), and with graduates who qualified from a dental Rural Clinical School (RCS) at Charles Sturt University (CSU).

Methodology: From mid-2015, USYD students who graduated between 2009 and 2013, and CSU graduates from 2013 to 2014, were requested to complete a telephone interview related to employment choices. For USYD, 135 interviews were completed (63% of contactable graduates) and for CSU, 39 interviews (68%).

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Background: Early childhood caries is a common chronic childhood disease and maternal oral health is a risk factor. Improving the oral health behaviours of pregnant women/young mothers can positively influence the oral health of children and reduce their caries risk. Such preventative strategies have been undertaken by non-dental professionals producing mixed results encompassing various interventions across the perinatal period.

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Introduction: The challenges in the recruitment and retention of dentists in rural Australia have contributed to a lack of dental service provision to rural communities. This paper explores the workforce factors involved in the employment location decisions of dentists' post-graduation.

Materials And Methods: Graduates between 2009 and 2013 from the University of Sydney, Dental School, were asked to complete a telephone interview related to their employment history.

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Issue Addressed: Australian Aboriginal children are less likely to access preventive oral health services such as fluoride varnish. The regular application of fluoride varnish can prevent dental caries. This study aims to determine if a school-based fluoride varnish program can provide Aboriginal children with at least three fluoride varnish applications over 12 months and whether the routine application of fluoride varnish for Aboriginal children in schools is a feasible approach for oral health promotion in Aboriginal communities.

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Background: There is little longitudinal evaluation of rural dental education outreach programs. This longitudinal research investigates the influence of a Rural Clinical Placement Program (RCPP) on workforce outcomes in terms of practice locations for five graduate years from the University of Sydney.

Methods: Work locations for the graduates from 2009-2013 were identified in 2015 and 2017 by rurality, using faculty contact lists, phone calls and online methods.

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Background: Australian Aboriginal children experience high levels of dental caries (tooth decay) and are less likely to access preventive dental health services. High-strength fluoride varnish has been shown to reduce the incidence of dental caries and is commonly used in community-based preventive dental health service programs. In New South Wales, Australia, the application of fluoride varnish is restricted to dental and medical professionals.

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Issue Addressed: All pregnant women should have a comprehensive oral health evaluation. Unfortunately, many pregnant women seldom seek dental care and some dentists are hesitant to treat during pregnancy. To address these issues, the Midwifery Initiated Oral Health Dental Service (MIOH-DS) program was developed in Australia.

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Background: Pregnant women in Australia seldom seek dental care and are unaware of its importance. To address these gaps the midwifery-initiated oral health dental service (MIOH-DS) program was comprehensive trialled and found effective. The aim of this study was to undertake a process evaluation of the MIOH-DS using the perspectives of pregnant women who participated in the trial.

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Background: A community-led oral health service for Aboriginal people in Central Northern NSW identified the need for oral health promotion, as well as dental treatment; in three remote communities with limited access to dental services. A three-stage plan based on the Precede-Proceed model was used to develop a school-based preventive oral health program. The program will be piloted in three schools over 12 months aimed at improving the oral health of local Aboriginal children.

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Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a dental health education program, 'Smiles not Tears' in preventing Early Childhood Caries in young Aboriginal children.

Basic Research Design: Community trial.

Clinical Setting: Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in rural, remote and metropolitan areas in New South Wales, Australia.

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Background: It is estimated that, as of 2010, there were 32 million orphaned children in India. There is little published information on the oral health of children in orphanages in India.

Aim: To determine caries status and associated risk factors among children in orphanages in Kerala, India.

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Background: Despite links between poor maternal oral health, adverse pregnancy outcomes and early childhood decay there is limited emphasis on maternal oral health in Australia. To address this, the Midwifery Initiated Oral Health Dental Service (MIOH-DS) program was developed in collaboration with the Australian College of Midwives.

Aims: To undertake a process evaluation and explore perceptions of midwives involved in the MIOH-DS program to determine its practicability, acceptability and feasibility if it were to be up-scaled and implemented into clinical practice.

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Introduction: As part of an oral health service for Aboriginal people in central northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia, oral health promotion was identified as a priority by the local Aboriginal community. The objective of this study was to collaborate with local Aboriginal communities to determine (1) the oral health needs of Aboriginal children aged 5-12 years, (2) the oral health knowledge and attitudes towards oral health of parents/guardians and (3) the perceived barriers and enablers towards oral health promotion for school children by local school staff and community health workers. The results of this collaboration will inform a community-owned oral health promotion program.

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Background: Oral health care during pregnancy is important for the health of the mother and child. However, pregnant women have limited knowledge about maternal oral health and seldom seek dental care. Further, due to limited training antenatal care providers like midwives rarely discuss oral health with pregnant women.

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Background: Despite strong evidence for cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in treating mental health, its use, thus far, has been limited for people with intellectual disabilities. This study describes a CBT-based guided self-help (CBT-GSH) manual for individuals with intellectual disability, and focus groups explore the views of clinicians, therapists, support staff and managers.

Material And Methods: Using a qualitative methodology, an expert team adapted the manual.

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Background: Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) has been used in clinical and experimental settings to establish sensory assessment for different types of pains, and may be a useful tool for the assessment of orofacial pain, but this premise needs to be tested.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate responses to thermal stimuli between painful and non-painful facial sites in subjects with orofacial pain using QST.

Methods: A total of 60 participants (5o females: 28-83 years; 10 males: 44-81 years) with unilateral orofacial pain were recruited from the Orofacial Pain Clinic at the Pain Management and Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

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Context/introduction: The availability of clinical dental services in rural locations is a major concern for many countries as dental care professionals gravitate to work in metropolitan areas. This systematic review examines the literature on Rural Placement Programs within dentistry and their impact on workforce intentions and employment outcomes. The review provides a detailed analysis of the methodological characteristics of the literature, considers the quality of the evidence and compares the outcomes within an international context.

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Objectives: This systematic review examines the evidence on the effectiveness of programmes that aim to improve the oral health of Indigenous populations worldwide, as well as presents a qualitative analysis to explore the design and implementation of these initiatives.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched. Studies were included if they described an oral health programme for an Indigenous population in any country worldwide.

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Background Access to dental care is important for overall health, but can remain problematic for those in rural or isolated locations. It can be difficult to encourage clinicians to choose or continue a rural health career. Teledentistry is showing some promise as a strategy to support rural, isolated and new health care workers.

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Objectives: Dental issues are more prevalent for Aboriginal Australians, especially those living in rural/remote locations, but distribution of clinicians is favoured towards metropolitan areas and are not always culturally competent. This study aimed to document the experiences of dental clinicians who relocated to rural/remote communities to provide dental services to Aboriginal communities in an effort to redress these gaps.

Setting: Clinicians working in a new rural/remote dental service strategy to Aboriginal communities in Northern NSW.

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