Beyond Clean Teeth: The Role of Dentists and Dental Hygienists in Ending the HIV Epidemic

Abstract

Dental providers play a critical role in public health initiatives, contributing to broader health promotion efforts despite not treating systemic illnesses like HIV directly. Collaboration with nontraditional partners, such as dentists and dental hygienists, is essential for achieving the health promotion goal of ending the HIV epidemic (ETE) by 2030. This study recruited 15 dental providers (seven dentists and eight dental hygienists) from Connecticut via dental associations, academic programs, and social media. Participants completed a semi-structured interview guided by the Social Ecological Model and a brief survey to capture demographics and HIV knowledge. Data were analyzed using the RADar (Rigorous and Accelerated Data Reduction) technique. Participants were predominantly female (66.7%) and White (66.7%) and averaged 48.4 years old. The mean HIV knowledge score was 32 out of 41 (78%). Key themes included (1) continuing education, (2) knowledge of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV, (3) communication best practices, (4) care coordination best practices, and (5) the role of dental providers in ETE efforts. This study underscores the need for collaborative efforts between dental providers and health promotion practitioners to address HIV-related knowledge gaps, stigma, and care coordination through targeted training and communication strategies, while also calling for further research into organizational and policy-level changes that can better integrate dental care into HIV initiatives.