Oral HPV and Cancer Prevention for Dental Professionals: How to Talk with Your Patients and Parents About HPV Vaccinations

Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for this module are to:

1. Increase Awareness: Educate dental professionals and patients about the link between HPV and oral cancers, emphasizing the role of the HPV vaccine in preventing these cancers.
2. Promote HPV Vaccination in Dental Settings: Equip dental professionals with the knowledge and tools to discuss the HPV vaccine with patients and parents, addressing common misconceptions and encouraging HPV vaccination as part of comprehensive oral health care.
3. Enhance Preventive Practices: Provide dental practitioners with practical strategies to incorporate HPV vaccination discussions into routine dental care, aiming to improve patient health outcomes through prevention of HPV-related oral cancers.
4. Educate: Improve dental professional’s understanding of HPV and HPV vaccinations and build confidence in initiating HPV vaccination conversations with patients and parents.
5. Resources: Provide resources for patients, families, and dental professionals.

 
Module Structure
This module is self-paced and available to any user who registers with the Maine Medical Association, Center for Quality Improvement Learning Lab. The estimated time to view the module is approximately 2.5 hours. The module will consist of multiple sub-sections or units and will contain various elements, including video lessons and hyperlinks to readings and web resources.

Table of Contents
Unit 1 – Understanding HPV and HPV Vaccinations – You Are the Key
Unit 2 – The Role of the Dental Professional in HPV Vaccine Education & Disease Prevention
Unit 3 – Let’s Talk About Quality Improvement
Unit 4 – The Maine HPV Vaccination Dental Project
Unit 5 – How a QI Project can be Executed in the Dental Office
Unit 6 – Additional Resources

Fee
FREE for Maine Dentists and Dental Hygienists

Hardware/Software Requirements

1. Computer with Internet connection
2. Current version of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser. You must have JavaScript enabled.

 
Disclosures
The planners and presenters for this module have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Presenters
Jessica Reed, MSN, GNP-BC​
​Clinical Quality Manager​
Maine Medical Association, Center for Quality Improvement

Debi Chalmers, RDH, IPDH, MSDH​
​Registered Dental Hygienist at Greater Portland Health​ and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Dental Hygiene​, University of New England

Funding: This module was made possible through the generous support of the Maine Cancer Foundation. Their funding has enabled the development and delivery of this educational resource aimed at educating dental professionals to promote HPV vaccination and improving oral health outcomes.