The 3^rd North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference

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The 3^rd North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference, “Beyond the Boundaries: Discovery, Innovation and Transformation,” was held from October 16 to 18, 2014, in Bethesda, Maryland. An additional half-day session was held on October 19, 2014 for educators entitled, “A Practical Guide to Incorporating Research & Evidence-Based Decision Making into the Dental Hygiene Curriculum.” The Conference provided an opportunity for dental hygiene researchers from the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia to convene and explore commonalities in their research interests, learn from each other about new and ongoing research programs, and foster future collaborations. It is our hope that discussion and interest generated at the conference provided the networking support and intellectual stimulation needed to systematically and purposefully move our research forward. To this end, the purpose of the conference was to bring the international dental hygiene community together to:

• Share new knowledge obtained through research investigations

• Explore how to translate research to practice in a meaningful and useful manner

• Disseminate new knowledge gained from research to support evidence-based practice

• Increase and diversify the number of individuals engaged in oral health research

• Build collegial relationships among oral health researchers and organizations representing academia, government and industry

• Captivate, advance and nurture a cadre of dental hygiene researchers

• Provide information about valid and useful research tools and resources

• Provide workshops for ‘hands-on’ training in scientific writing, editorial review, searching for best evidence, and teaching research methods

• Mentor student and novice investigators in preparation for careers in research.

In order to achieve these objectives, a program devoted to a wide range of topics was created. Invited senior scientists presented their ideas and summaries of ongoing research efforts related to tobacco addiction and treatment, and the role of the oral microbiome in oral cancer development. Distinguished dental hygiene scientists discussed the development of a scholarly identity and its relationship to advancing the profession. Invited researchers shared their work, including an examination of the relationship between preventive services and quality of care; how an interprofessional collaboration between nursing and dental hygiene improved health outcomes in patients in the ICU; and about the impact of health literacy on health outcomes. Dental hygiene researchers from around the world presented their original work during both poster and oral scientific sessions in support of national and global oral health research agendas. Opportunities to learn about this research were made through 42 poster and 33 oral presentations.

Finally, based on the outcomes from the second conference in October 2011, a program was created to enhance training and skill development on a wide range of topics. Seven different continuing education workshops were specifically designed on the following topics: Using Best Evidence to Enhance Dental Hygiene Clinical Decision Making; Overcoming the Fear of Statistics; Millennials and Dental Education: Using Technology for Effective Teaching; Getting Your Name in Print; Becoming an Effective Journal Reviewer; Navigating the IRB; and How to Construct and Maintain a Usable Dataset. Educators learned best practices for how to incorporate research and evidence-based decision making into the dental hygiene curriculum. Over 18 hours of continuing education credit were offered over the three and a half day conference.

This conference has required more than a year of planning, and we must acknowledge the contributions and support that we have received from many individuals and organizations along the way. First, we thank the Canadian and American Dental Hygienists' Associations for again partnering with the National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice to invite dental hygienists from across the continent to participate in this event. We also thank the American Dental Education Association and the American Association for Dental Research for their support and participation. Conference attendees represented 11 countries; 34 states in the United States, 6 Canadian provinces, 7 European countries, South Korea, and 2 of the 6 states of Australia. There were 41 international participants from 10 countries outside of the United States; 36 graduate dental hygiene students, 13 full-time dental hygiene clinical practitioners, 126 full and part-time faculty from universities, dental schools, and community colleges, 3 practitioners from hospital settings, 9 representatives from health organizations, 15 professional association representatives, 7 journal editors, 30 dental hygienists and dentists representing various industries, 9 independent consultants, and 1 person representing the military.

We thank the members of our Advisory Board for volunteering their time and talents, for facilitating workshops, and for moderating sessions during the meeting. We also thank our volunteers for managing the registration tables and the many companies who graciously donated copies of their research to share with all of the conference participants to further our knowledge and understanding of their products and services.

Most importantly, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to our corporate sponsors: The Procter & Gamble Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Philips, Johnson & Johnson, Sunstar, Dentsply, Waterpik, and Premier. This conference would not have been possible without educational grants from our corporate partners, and we thank them for their kindness and generosity.

Sincerely,

Jane L. Forrest, RDH, EdD

Conference Co-Chair

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD

Conference Co-Chair

• Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association