Developing an online platform to promote oral health among the Cystic Fibrosis community.

This KTA will be used in order to disseminate findings from our research into the oral health of people with Cystic Fibrosis (PWCF). We seek to provide information and education to two groups of people: 1. PWCF and parents/guardians of PWCF, and 2. Oral Healthcare Professionals. 

We will engage with patient advocates from Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI) and parents of children with CF in order to establish their oral healthcare needs and wants. We will also meet with oral healthcare professionals to establish the areas of patient management that they find challenging.

For a variety of reasons, PWCF may not attend the dentist routinely and have unique risks when accessing dental treatment. We seek to provide oral health education, dietary advice and information around oral health conditions frequently seen in people with Cystic Fibrosis to the Irish and global CF community. We will create an interactive educational website, with animations, videos, images and other resources. PWCF will be able to access resources with information around oral hygiene, diet, the oral impact of their medications, and how they can access financial supports to assist with dental treatment. 

Throughout our study, we have found that dentists lack confidence in their management of PWCF. To address this, the website will contain educational material regarding CF, in order to improve dentists’ management of PWCF, e.g. what medications they may take, what the oral impacts they may have and logistical considerations around managing PWCF in the general dental practice. This is important so that oral healthcare professionals feel confident when treating PWCF and also to make the dental experience more comfortable and satisfactory for PWCF.

Award Date

12 September 2022

Award Value

€23,224.00

Principal Investigator

Dr Martina Hayes

Host Institution

University College Cork

Scheme

Knowledge Translation Awards