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From left: Vincent Rothe, D.D.S., Sheryl Pitner, M.D., Fouad Salama, B.D.S., Amy Kebriaei, D.D.S., and Mary Balluff, recently conducted a project to raise awareness in residents and patient parents about infant oral health. The project was supported by a grant from the Douglas County Department of Health. |
Fouad Salama, B.D.S., the pediatric dental residency program director, along with residents Vincent Rothe, D.D.S., Amy Kebriaei, D.D.S., and Paul Kawacz of UNMC ITS Video Services, developed two PowerPoint presentations and videos to teach pediatric and family residents and parents about the importance of infant oral health.
Their efforts yielded two DVDs — one for residents in English and another for parents in English and Spanish.
Pediatric residency program director Sheryl Pittner, M.D., helped coordinate lunch conferences for the pediatric residents, during which they viewed the PowerPoint and video after taking a test to determine their knowledge on infant oral health.
A test given after the presentation showed that the residents’ knowledge of infant oral health improved greatly and many of them said they were appreciative of the opportunity to learn about this topic.
Many residents said patients’ parents frequently inquire about infant oral health and that the information from the presentation would be helpful in addressing these questions.
Dr. Pittner and Dr. Salama also hosted weekly presentations for parents of infants between 6 and 18 months of age at UNMC’s pediatric clinic. Parents who participated in these presentations took a test regarding their knowledge of infant oral health before and after the presentation. As with the residents, a post test showed that parents came away with more knowledge about the subject and many parents said they were interested and excited to learn how to care for their babies’ teeth.
For participating in the project, the Douglas County Department of Health provided residents, parents and infants with toothbrushes, adult and infant toothpaste and $10 Target gift cards.
Dr. Salama said the project — which lasted about 3 ½ months — was very successful, noting that parents and pediatric residents encouraged more collaborations of this type.
Dr. Salama said Mary Balluff, chief of Community Health and Nutrition Services at the Douglas County Health Department, deserved special credit for her work in supporting the program.
Research findings from the project were presented at the national American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry annual meeting and UNMC’s sixth Annual Pediatric Research Forum at Children’s Hospital.