Putting the mouth back in the head: HEENT to HEENOT

Am J Public Health. 2015 Mar;105(3):437-41. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302495. Epub 2015 Jan 20.

Abstract

Improving oral health is a leading population health goal; however, curricula preparing health professionals have a dearth of oral health content and clinical experiences. We detail an educational and clinical innovation transitioning the traditional head, ears, eyes, nose, and throat (HEENT) examination to the addition of the teeth, gums, mucosa, tongue, and palate examination (HEENOT) for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of oral-systemic health. Many New York University nursing, dental, and medical faculty and students have been exposed to interprofessional oral health HEENOT classroom, simulation, and clinical experiences. This was associated with increased dental-primary care referrals. This innovation has potential to build interprofessional oral health workforce capacity that addresses a significant public health issue, increases oral health care access, and improves oral-systemic health across the lifespan.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Competence / standards
  • Comorbidity
  • Curriculum
  • Dental Health Services / organization & administration
  • Dental Health Services / standards*
  • Education, Dental / standards
  • Education, Dental / trends
  • Education, Nursing / standards
  • Education, Nursing / trends
  • Health Personnel / education*
  • Health Personnel / standards
  • Health Services Accessibility / standards*
  • Humans
  • Interdisciplinary Studies / standards
  • Interdisciplinary Studies / trends
  • Interinstitutional Relations
  • Interprofessional Relations*
  • Models, Educational
  • New York
  • Oral Health / education*
  • Oral Health / standards
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Schools, Dental / organization & administration
  • Schools, Dental / trends
  • Schools, Nursing / organization & administration
  • Schools, Nursing / trends
  • Workforce