Bringing Social Determinants of Health Into the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis
The dental hygiene diagnosis (DHDx) was introduced to the dental hygiene process of care in the early 1990s.1 According to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), DHDx is “the identification of an individual’s health behaviors, attitudes, and oral health care needs for which a dental hygienist is educationally qualified and licensed to provide.”2 Dental hygienists use assessment data to determine the DHDx and care planning to support improved health outcomes.
In 2015, a model for creating the DHDx was introduced composed of four main categories: assessment, examples of dental hygiene diagnoses, examples of contributing factors, and examples of dental hygiene care planning including treatment, education, counseling and referrals.3 This model was updated in 2018 to include the current periodontal classification.4 Today, the emphasis is on social determinants of health (SDOH), which have been incorporated into the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis Model.
Healthy People 2030 defined SDOH as “the conditions in the environment where people are born, live, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes and risks.”5 Additionally, Healthy People 2030 included objectives based on SDOH needs in the domains of economics, education, healthcare, neighborhoods and communities. While progress is being made in some of these areas, other areas are declining, such as dwindling community connections. Many individuals do not have the social support of friends and family to share health concerns, which may increase physical and mental health problems.6
* References and figures can be found in the original article via the link above.
Responses