RESEARCH ON ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

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Oral health education is an integral part of health promotion. Research on ways to improve content, channels of distribution, appropriateness as well as the need to identify specific audiences and to identify their needs is a primary focus of the Branch. Science transfer activities to help ensure that research based information is used in preparation of education materials and other communications also is integral to Branch activities. Adapting research findings to the needs of the audience, be they legislative, professional, general public or specific high risk populations is an important outcome of research conducted by NIDR. The Branch takes the NIDR lead in evaluating scientific literature for translation and interpretation for the varied audiences. The outcomes of these scientific evaluations result in published literature reviews in texts and journals, lectures and consultation. Major areas of emphasis are community water fluoridation, multiple modalities of fluoride, dental sealants as well as prevention of other oral diseases such as oral cancer and HIV oral manifestations and conditions, and strategies for effective health education and promotion. Staff have been working with outside investigators to develop a survey instrument to evaluate knowledge, opinions and practices for use in determining the basis upon which education and preventive regimens could be established at the local and state levels. Staff also have been working with an outside investigator to evaluate the content of health education text books to determine the extent, nature and appropriateness of oral health information being taught and how this information supports oral health objectives in Healthy People 2000. The Branch is working with three international guest scientists in the areas of health education and health promotion. One is analyzing a survey from Korea on knowledge, opinions, and practices of health care providers regarding caries prevention to establish the basis for a health education-promotion program.