Evaluating the Impact of an Educational Program on Stigmatizing Attitudes in Dental Hygiene Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT: People living with serious mental illness (SMI) are at high risk for poor dentition, poor oral health, and increased tooth loss. This mixed methods research study assessed the impact of an interdisciplinary education program on dental hygiene student attitudes toward people with SMI. Senior dental hygiene students ( n = 38) from a large northeastern university participated in 3 hours of didactic learning, followed by experiential service learning. Quantitative surveys and qualitative questions were administered at three time points. Results showed a decrease in stigmatizing attitudes from before to after the didactic learning, which was maintained following experiential learning for two of the three scales. Thematic analysis indicated students' willingness to work with the population after service learning. Interdisciplinary education programs combining didactic and experiential service learning offer promise to improve attitudes of dental hygiene students. Future work is needed to explore the most critical and impactful components of this type of educational program.