Improving access and provision of preventive oral health care for very young, poor, and low-income children through a new interdisciplinary partnership.

Objectives: We provided oral health care services at 2 sites using a nurse practitioner-dietitian team to increase dental workforce capacity and improve access to care for low-income preschool children.

Methods: Our team provided oral health assessments and education, fluoride varnish application, and dentist referrals. The primary endpoint was participants' access to oral health care.

Expanding oral health preventative services for young children: a successful interprofessional model.

Progressive solutions are needed to solve the oral health chronic disease problem in the U.S. The importance of oral health coupled with urgent community oral health needs, shortage of primary providers, and emphasis on interprofessional collaboration make the timing ripe for allied health training and practice in oral health preventative services.

A novel, minimally invasive approach to managing mild epithelial dysplasia.

Conventional oral cancer screening examinations can be enhanced by direct tissue fluorescence visualization. Early dysplastic lesions detected during screening examinations often are monitored for progression or changes in appearance. Aggressive surgical intervention usually is contraindicated for mild epithelial dysplasia.

It is more than just a reproductive healthcare visit: experiences from an adolescent medicine clinic.

The gynecologist may be the only physician that an adolescent depends on for primary and reproductive healthcare services. Because adolescent females often make personal healthcare decisions without the benefit of supportive parents/caregivers, it is imperative that the gynecologist understands the developmental issues encountered during this phase of life. The objective of this study is to identify cited complaints of adolescent females seeking reproductive care and, thus, provide gynecologists with needed information about the medical/mental health issues that may be encountered during routine reproductive care exams.

The pediatric nurse practitioner's role in reducing oral health disparities in homeless children.

Dental caries is the most common infectious disease of children. The majority of children in the United States who experience dental decay are from low-income, minority families. Many low- income, minority families are at risk for homelessness and, indeed, mothers with children are the fastest growing homeless group.

A broken heart--the physician's role: bereaved parents' perceptions of interactions with physicians.

This survey study provides pediatricians the opportunity to hear directly from surviving parents and caretakers and is an initial step in developing training curricula for doctors and other health care professionals who wish to improve the effectiveness of their interactions with grieving families. A privately maintained listserve, originating in Kentucky, of bereaved parents and guardians was used to send written surveys via the U.S.

Clinical management of adolescents with autism.

Autism spectrum disorder is a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders that includes autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified. This article provides the reader with an overview of the major psychosocial issues related to adolescents with autism. This discussion is followed by an interjection of medications that may be useful in maximizing the functioning of adolescents with autism.

Ethical decision-making for multiple prescription dentistry.

Technology provides a selection of treatment choices for dental problems. Dental ethics must be applied to the development of a treatment plan and the selection of methods. Treatment options should consider the patient's circumstances and desires as well as the dentist's decision as it relates to best practices in dentistry.

Virtual patient training to improve reproductive health care for women with intellectual disabilities.

A multimedia virtual patient module, involving the case of a young woman with mild intellectual disabilities with a complaint of diffuse abdominal pain, was developed as a clinical training tool for students in health care professions. Primary objectives following use of the module included improved knowledge and reduced perception of difficulty in treating women's health patients with intellectual disabilities. The module was developed using an iterative, collaborative process of a core development team that included medical professionals, multimedia specialists, the parent of a child with intellectual disability, and a disability advocate.

African-American women: health beliefs, lifestyle, and osteoporosis.

Cultural beliefs of African-American women, manifested in lifestyle behaviors, may influence osteoporosis development. Genetics may have a positive influence on bone density, but the risks increase from other diseases that may contribute to the development of secondary osteoporosis. Health beliefs, lifestyle behaviors, and secondary osteoporosis causes are explored, focusing on relationships with osteoporosis.

From healing the whole person: an argument for therapeutic touch as a complement to traditional medical practice.

The growing popularity and use of therapeutic touch (TT) is an issue that has generated controversy and concern within the medical community. While anecdotal and traditional scientific evidence suggest that TT would be an advantageous addition for clinics and hospitals to include in their armamentarium of complementary interventions within the realm of traditional medicine, TT has not become widely available in the U.S.

Holistic health: does it really include mental health?

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years.

End-of-life care and social work education: what do students need to know?

Social workers are major service providers to people who are facing end-of-life issues including the terminally ill and their families. Yet, exemplary models for social work education and intervention methods are limited in rural states. A statewide survey conducted in Kentucky found only two social work courses dedicated to end-of-life care currently being offered by accredited undergraduate and graduate institutions.

Self-esteem: a hidden concern in oral health.

Little is known about the impact of oral health on self-esteem. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the frequency of low self-esteem in vulnerable persons who received oral health care at an academic nursing center. Participants (N = 86) completed the Index of Self-Esteem (Hudson, 1982b), answered open-ended questions concerning oral health care practices, and participated in an oral health examination.

Incidence of galactorrhea in young women using Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate.

Galactorrhea is rarely mentioned as a possible side effect of the use of Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA). Over the last few years, we have noticed an increased number of patients complaining of galactorrhea. A review of clinical data showed that between 1999 and 2005, 360 adolescents in our clinic used DMPA for at least 6 months.

Role of hope in the survival of Vietnam combat veterans.

75 Vietnam combat veterans participated in extensive interviews about their combat experience. Regardless of the nature of the combat, Vietnam veterans reported that "hope" was a determining factor in their survival. An analysis of the interview narratives suggests a typology of different processes for hoping.