Summary
In this episode, Salme Lavigne, scientific editor of the
Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene (CJDH), interviews Shauna
Hachey, lead author of an article published in the June 2026 issue (Volume
60, Number 2). Learn about Shauna’s research on oral health assessment and
care practices in long-term care facilities, as well as the perceived
benefits of integrating dental hygienists into interprofessional care
teams.
Practical Implications for Dental Hygienists
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Dental hygienists play an important role in long-term care and are
valued by long-term care teams.
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Person-centred oral care planning that aligns with residents’ routines
and preferences can improve acceptance and adherence to care.
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Enhanced training and standardized protocols for oral assessments, oral
care, and documentation will support consistency and improve care
outcomes.
Also, browse past
issues of CJDH for research on similar topics. Individual journal articles
can be easily viewed, downloaded, and printed from cjdh.ca.
Would you prefer to listen to the research article? Use the
Natural Reader
text-to-speech tool—simply select the language of the article, select your
narrator of choice, upload the article, and it will read it aloud for you.
CDHA members who wish to receive a certificate of completion for this
learning activity should click the Access Now button and
complete the curriculum. After responding to a feedback survey, your
certificate will be available in your online CDHA profile.
Learning Outcomes
Following the learning activity, participants will be able to:
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Identify areas of their dental hygiene practice requiring improvement
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Use knowledge sources to inform dental hygiene practice
and enhance service provision
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Reflect on challenges of applying new scientific research to practice
Format for Learning
The recorded interview is available in English with French closed
captioning. The research article is available in English.
The interview is approximately 15 minutes in length; access to the
accompanying research article and plain language summary is provided
along with a set of self-reflection questions. The learning is
self-directed, and the article can be downloaded and printed. The
self-reflection questions must be completed prior to receiving a
certificate of completion. It is expected that viewing the recording,
reading the article, and answering the questions will take you at least
2 hours.
A certificate of completion will be provided. After watching the video,
reading the article, answering the questions, and responding to a
feedback survey, you can access a certificate of completion from your
online CDHA profile.
Speakers
Shauna Hachey, BDH, MHS, RDH
Shauna Hachey is an associate professor in the Faculty of Dentistry
at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also
cross-appointed to the School of Communication Sciences and
Disorders. Shauna’s research focuses on oral health care for
care-dependent populations and on community-led oral health
promotion. She serves in national leadership roles with the Canadian
Society for Disability and Oral Health and the Network for Canadian
Oral Health Research, and co-leads initiatives such as Brushing Up,
which supports caregivers and providers, and Weskewikwa'sit
mijua'ji’j — Baby Smiles for First Nations families.
Salme Lavigne, PhD, RDH
Salme Lavigne was appointed scientific editor of the
Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, effective December 1,
2015. She holds a diploma in dental hygiene from the University of
Toronto, a bachelor’s degree in biomedical anthropology from
Lakehead University, a master’s degree in dental hygiene education
from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a doctorate in
community health sciences from the University of Manitoba. Salme was
the founding director of the dental hygiene program at Confederation
College, Thunder Bay, and served as director of the School of Dental
Hygiene, University of Manitoba, for 13 years where she developed
and initiated the first BScDH program at that institution. An
internationally recognized researcher and educator, Salme has
received Alumni of Distinction awards from the University of Toronto
and the UMKC School of Dentistry, and a Life Membership Award from
the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association.